A Collection of Hearts
by Janika
Summary: Castle Oblivion only recently behind him, Riku is now on the tail of the Nobodies as they enter new worlds in search of weapons. He's also beginning to feel the effects of Darkness creeping in on him, but someone he met recently might be able to help...
1. 1 Keychain

_**A Collection of Hearts #1: ****Heart of the Forest**_

**I was recently looking through a book of idioms and was surprised how many references to the heart there are in English. I wondered how some of them might apply to Kingdom Hearts and before I knew it, I was writing a series.**

**One thing that bothered me was how little we got to know certain characters from Castle Oblivion before they died. It doesn't seem quite fair to me, and so I thought it might be interesting to see what would have happened had they survived, so just pretend that they lived. **

**Yes, I know that KH 358/2 Days will probably make all my assumptions moot, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.**

**Chapter 1: Keychain**

Stone trees towered high above the earth, every leave and vine frozen as if a gorgon had passed through with a naked face. Creatures resembling flowers, though with bodies that bore legs and sharp thorns, lay spread out among the paths. They too were motionless. Every living thing in sight was dead.

At the edge of the forest a figure appeared. Shifting blackness allowed him passage and then vanished the moment he had fully entered the domain. Deep within his cowl he gazed at the surroundings, specifically the stoned monsters. With a sneering laugh he waved a hand, summoning Nobodies into the unsuspecting world.

"My calculations were correct. These things have no hearts, but they still have bodies. They can't be repossessed, but I suspect that such shells can be controlled by other shells."

He touched the closest Nobody and the symbol on its forehead warped slightly. A moment later it slitheringly approached one of the plant-spiders and melded with it. A crack echoed through the forest and gray stone slowly took on life. Less than a minute later it was a green creature with a red flower as its disturbingly eyeless head. A squeaking screech issued from it and the member of Organization Thirteen smiled unpleasantly as he reached toward another of his lackeys.

"Xemnas may just want me to do some experimenting, but he didn't say I couldn't enjoy myself while I was at it." His eyes turned northward. "What a strange aura. How intriguing…"

Another swirling oval of darkness appeared and a large man entered the realm. He was tall with brown hair, a square chin and a mildly disinterested expression.

"What are you doing here, Lexaeus? The Superior told me this was _my_ world."

"He insisted I keep an eye on you. Your unpredictability makes him suspicious of you."

The scientist growled, but reluctantly gestured to the creature in front of them. "An experiment in control. Imperfect, but usable. Would you like to test them?"

"Perhaps."

%*%

A short time later, a flying ship unlike any that had ever been seen in that particular world descended through the atmosphere. It landed in a lake at the base of a mountain overshadowing the forest.

Moments afterward, darkness formed out of thin air and a new figure entered the wood. The trees were dense enough that Riku didn't reach for his blindfold. He wanted to see the strange place as it was. He curiously touched a tree and was surprised to see it was made of stone. Was this some sort of petrified forest?

King Mickey had told him there might be a link to this world, and just by standing there he could tell the mouse was right. He detected two stenches from Organization Thirteen.

Riku paused, divided. The king could probably deal with this himself. Sora was still in stasis at Castle Oblivion and needed protection. What was he _doing_ here? Why had he been sent? Didn't anyone understand that he—?

There was a rustle behind him and he spun about with Way to the Dawn appearing in a flash. He caught sight of the bright yellow and pink clothing of someone pretending they were not there. A girl peeked out briefly from the shelter of a stone bush and he relaxed. Just one of the natives, and a young one at that.

"Come on out. I won't bother you."

Hesitantly she stepped into full view, a rod of some sort in her hand, and Riku blinked in surprise. There was a _horn_ in the middle of her forehead. But if this was not an uncommon trait, then it might be rude to stare. The short girl approached with eyes wider and more curious than Riku had seen in a long time. Not since Destiny Islands when…

"What are you doing here?" he asked, shaking off the memories.

"Looking for…" The child clasped her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her feet as though arguing inside. A second later she seemed to decide he was worth trusting and continued, "It's an eidolon. I'm a summoner and I was passing by when I heard one calling out. Sometimes it'll speak but sometimes it won't, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly where it's coming from."

He assumed an eidolon was a type of summon since she was a summoner, but knew if the Organization Thirteen members caught her they wouldn't hold back just because she was a child.

"Get out of here, kid. This is no place for you."

"Hey, you don't talk to a lady like that! You introduce yourself and ask what her name is. Got that, _buddy?_"

He lifted an eyebrow skeptically. "Look, there's someone here with an army of Nobodies at his back. He'll be making trouble before long, so I'd suggest you take your little toy weapon and leave."

The girl seemed to be changing colors now. Her eyes grew bigger and her face got redder, even as the expression twisted into some mixture of surprise and anger. Or maybe it was _fury_ and anger.

"How dare you speak to a heroine of Gaia that way! I'll show _you_."

Oh, just perfect. The little kid now had to prove she could take care of herself and Riku would have to rescue her when she did something stupid. He should have seen this coming, but for some reason it hadn't occurred to him beforehand that nettling the child would have this drastic of an effect. There was only one thing for it.

He picked her up and slung her tiny body over his shoulder as he walked away from the forest. She kicked and screamed, but was obviously no match for him. And yet Riku had to admit she had heart.

Very soon he realized how right he was.

In his other hand he'd been carrying the Keyblade and as she squirmed about, the girl snatched at it, trying to pull his weapon away. Naturally he yanked it back and her hand slipped down to the keychain. She refused to let go and gave an extra-hard pull. The keychain broke and Riku at first didn't realize what had happened. Then he saw that his Way to the Dawn had turned back into Soul Eater and the missing piece was in the child's hand. He instantly stopped and set her down so that he could retrieve it.

But he overlooked the amazingly instinctive talent of ornery children to play Keep-Away.

The girl danced out of reach and no matter how quickly his hands darted, hers were too slippery. It didn't take long for him to realize how much of a fool he was beginning to look. And that she was rather enjoying it.

"All right," he conceded at last. "My name is Riku. I've come here to help your world before it gets overrun by Heartless and Nobodies. I'm trying to protect this place and you're in my way. Now tell me who you are."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and turned her back on him, revealing a decorative pair of white wings. "Eiko Carol, last summoner of Madain Sari and heir-apparent to the regency of Lindblum. And I didn't catch even the barest hint of an apology."

Before he could tell her exactly what he thought of her (and especially what he considered an undeserved apology), they were interrupted.

From the branches a high-pitched screech echoed. Riku barely had time to raise his Keyblade when a creature pounced on him from above! He deflected it to the side where the spindly monster hissed and pranced in an agitated way. Its blossoming head was the color of blood, but just below that on what would be considered its chest Riku recognized a mark.

As it came at him again, he twisted around and sliced with Soul Eater at an angle. One sharp foreleg lashed out as it died, catching him in the sword arm. He grunted and backed away, feeling warmth trickle down from the wound. It burned and his fingers were going numb.

Meanwhile, the girl was trapped beneath another monster. Riku called out and tried to run forward to protect her, but they were too far away. It raised one foreleg to stab her and she raised her rod up to defend herself, grasping it with both hands and forgetting that she was already holding something.

The keychain met the weapon and merged with a flash. It startled the creature and she managed to roll out from underneath it. Somehow the rod had _changed_.

Riku watched, awestruck, as she hurled the warped weapon at the monster. Way to the Dawn left her hand, spinning end over end through the air. It struck the enemy, slicing it in half. Then the Keyblade vanished…reappearing in the girl's hand.

Her surprise mirrored his own, but at least he knew what had just happened. She dropped it and gave a startled cry.

Riku approached slowly and picked up the fallen blade. When he tried to take back the keychain it refused to come loose.

**As you can see, this is based in the Final Fantasy 9 realm. For those of you familiar with it, I'd like to know which character you liked the most. I personally liked Eiko (no duh!) b/c she seemed to have the most potential out of everyone, plus she's brashly honest like me. Besides, she has a **_**horn!**_** How cool is that?**


	2. 2 Summoning

Chapter 2: Summoning

Eiko backed up, staring at the weapon that had been hers a few minutes ago. It was hideous now! It was demonic-looking with an imitation of a wing tagged on. There was even a creepy eye near the handle. She refused to view it as anything but ugly.

"What did it do to my Tiger Racket? It looks like that weird sword you were carrying earlier. But…how did your weapon change into that thing you have now and mine change into what yours used to be?"

Riku gazed at it with confusion then he made it vanish and turned to the child. "I don't know why my keychain attached to a weapon that definitely isn't a Keyblade and then turn it into one. Why would it choose such a little kid?"

"Kid? I'm nine years old!" Eiko said standing up to her full height, but as she did that the Keyblade's sharp point caught on her baggy pants. She stared venomously at her new weapon. "What the heck am I supposed to do with it?"

Riku could understand her surprise but not her anger. "What's wrong with it?"

"Where should I start?" she asked sarcastically. "It's hideous, bulky, creepy-looking, too big to slide into my strap, and I can't hold it comfortably."

He gazed at her with something very much like disdain. "It sounds to me like you're just whining about superficial things. Keyblades have plenty of useful qualities."

"Oh _really?_" she said with more than a hint of challenge. "Like what?"

"It can give you access to magic—"

"Already have it."

"—and you an use it as a weapon, a bit like a sword—"

"Can't fight that way."

"—it's the only thing that kills Heartless—"

"Never met 'em."

"—it can unlock doors and—"

"Don't need to."

By that time Riku was sick of playing this girl's game. He did not have time to sit down and lecture her on the uses of a weapon that she had no right to have in the first place and had no obligation to keep. "Look, I tried to be nice but you are making my mission harder by the second."

Eiko shrugged in reply as she busily loosened the strap where she kept the rod before. The Keyblade stayed on her hip, but it looked long enough to interfere with her walking.

"Why don't you just go home while I take care of things here?"

"So you're going to make me keep this crummy weapon of yours? _Fat chance_. I want my Tiger Racket back and _you're_ the one who—"

Riku considered the possibility of simply taking the Keyblade from her entirely…but somehow he knew that it would stay with her. In that case would it be better to forget it? This girl was more likely to be a hindrance than a help as it was. Especially now when she was distracting him.

"—not _my_ fault your little keychain broke and you can't even keep track of your own stupid things. Maybe you should—"

"Are you _ever_ serious?" he demanded.

She cut off and looked at him with slightly less disrespect. "Well, what do you need to do?"

Since it appeared to be the first sincere question she'd asked, he saw no reason not to answer. "Find the ones who made these Nobody-creatures and kill them if I can."

"How are you planning to do that?"

The young man started to reach out and summon his Keyblade to demonstrate, but suddenly he realized his arm was bleeding and the fingers wouldn't move. Eiko's response was immediate.

"You're hurt! Why didn't you tell me?" She took her Keyblade from the strap (with only a short unhappy glance at it) and gave it a wave, sparkles following in an arc. "Cure!"

He felt a little better, but blood still slid down his arm.

Eiko bit her lip. "Cura!"

A swirl of magic surrounded him and then burst out in golden ripples. It helped more, but continued to be painful.

"Grrr! Curaga!"

A welling strength built inside him as white magic streaked around his form like a fountain. Riku lifted his hand and winced once more.

"What the heck is wrong with you? You can't be immune to every spell I cast. If Dagger was here she could use Scan to figure it out… How does it feel?"

He stared at his fingers and realized they no longer responded. "I can't move my hand."

"Let me see." She felt it and gasped. "Oh, it's _petrifying_ you. Hold still, Riku. Stona!"

Instantly the uncomfortable sensation left and he flexed his fingers experimentally. They were weak, but at least he could use them again.

"Those creatures can turn people to stone," he mused.

The girl folded her arms, forgetting how long her weapon was. It wound up hitting her knee fairly hard. After the initial hopping about she calmed down enough to say, "The plant-spiders were all fossilized along with the rest of the forest. They must have a stoning effect on living things now."

"At least you can put together that much."

"Glad you noticed," she grinned, but when Riku started walking away she gave a huff and trotted after him. "You're not going to leave _me_ behind. I can help you…just give me a chance."

"I work better alone," he insisted.

The summoner refused to be put off that easily, though. "How do you _know_ that? Maybe I'd be able to—"

"Quiet." Riku was suddenly tense and he darted into the brush. He crouched as he followed the slight tug of magic he felt ahead. It was definitely a Nobody, but what was it doing?

He came to the edge of a cliff overlooking a small clearing. It was overshadowed by thick stone foliage and was filled with more of the plant-monsters, only these were petrified. Wait…was that a Dusk? Why was it _melting_ into the stone?

There was a grunt behind him as Eiko tripped over the Keyblade and he dragged her close to him so that she could see over the edge without being seen herself.

"Since you're here I might as well keep you from giving us away. Lay still and don't make a sound." He turned his attention back to the area below. "I think I see two people down there. I'm sure they're part of the Organization… I wish we could get closer and find out what they're saying."

"Is that all? No problem." From a little bag at her waist she pulled out a handful of gemstones. As the cloaked boy looked at them, he felt power humming inside, but Eiko chose two stones (ruby and diamond it seemed) and put the others back. She took a deep breath as she performed a paired summoning. "It's a special mission, Carbuncle. We need some stealth."

A creature appeared behind them in a small flash of light. Her foxy form floated in the air and a horn on her head, clear as a diamond, flared. Then she vanished. Riku looked down at himself and could just see the outline of his cloak and skin, but everything else was simply missing.

"We'll have to hurry if we want to spy on them," Eiko's voice came out of the air beside him. There wasn't even a shadow to show where she was. "The invisibility only lasts five minutes at most."

Without sparing a word, he followed the line of the cliff and leaped into the branches of a tree that grew up beside it. From there he swung to the next tree and the next until he was nearly above the Nobodies. Riku cautiously climbed down a few branches until he could hear their voices. He knew them now.

%*%

Lexaeus directed the three monsters that had come to life and they scuttled away hissing resentfully. He turned to his companion. "How long will it last?"

"Perhaps an hour or so. The Nobodies can only control them so long before they are forced to separate. In essence it is very much like…what are those toys children play with? Hand puppets, I believe. The only difference is that the puppet stiffens over time until the hand can no longer move it."

"So the point of this experiment is…?"

Vexen looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Do I need a reason?"

The large Nobody folded his arms and stared at the surrounding forest with a stoic expression. "I would suggest you have one. I am not entirely inclined to report favorably on this assignment so far."

Vexen half-snorted. "Very well. The focus of my venture is to find out why there are no Heartless in this world."

"None?" Even Lexaeus seemed surprised.

"Not a single one. It makes no sense, especially considering the surrounding worlds have been infiltrated—to varying degrees, of course. Even more confusing is the fact that you and I and the Dusks are able to be here when they cannot."

"Why didn't you tell the Superior about this?"

"How could I? There is nothing to report yet. I was not even sure of my hypothesis until a few minutes ago. The barrier may come in useful if we can learn what it is and how to control it."

For once the other seemed surprised, but rather than inquiring further he focused on the first topic. "And these Nobodies?"

"A fairly useless trial, but why not kill two birds with one stone?" Vexen was about to continue, but he suddenly stopped and turned to look at one of the creatures still frozen in the clearing. There was something about it… Then a not-so-pleasant smile crept across his features. "I believe we have company."

%*%

Riku stood stock still and looked down at himself. He was still invisible so they couldn't be talking about him and Eiko was—where was she? Oh great…

Vexen gestured and a group of twisted Nobodies appeared. They all converged on the same spot and there was a childish yelp. But before another second passed, suddenly a giant blue and silver wolf with horns stood towering over them.

The young man watched from the tree as the Summon attacked with teeth, claws, horns, and even the long whiplashing tail. Ghost-like winds accompanied him, sweeping into the enemies and sending them into confusion.

But then Vexen's hand raised and ice formed around the eidolon's feet, bringing it to a full halt. More plant-monsters came flooding in from the trees, their numbers overwhelming it in moments. The wolf's greatest strengths were speed and wind, but now he was at a disadvantage and his winds vanished with the loss of concentration. It howled in defiance even as it faded away into wisps of blue smoke.

The Chilly Academic laughed. "A fascinating attack and the distraction allowed you to get away, but a child like you will have to do much better than that if you want to fight on par with us."

The Nobodies headed farther into the dense woods, but not before sending more Dusks to possess the remaining stone monsters in the clearing. Once they were all gone Riku looked down and saw that he was fully visible. At least none of them had looked up. He scanned the area and finally caught a flash of yellow near the cliff.

When he approached her, Eiko was pouting zealously. She kept glaring at the empty place where the Nobodies had vanished. "How _dare_ he! Fenrir hardly had a chance once he was caught. That stupid—"

"Maybe you should spend less time fuming and more time figuring out what to do next. Surely that's not your strongest Summon."

The girl rubbed her fingers along the wing of the Keyblade, not looking at him as she answered. "I…I lent the token for my strongest eidolon to a friend. I only have three others."

Riku couldn't help remembering the pouch on her belt. "What about those? You have more than three in there."

She placed one hand on it protectively. "They… I can't. When my family died and I was all alone in my hometown, I found these hidden everywhere…but I've never been able to use them."

"Let me see."

He grabbed it before she could dart back and Eiko instantly put up a loud fuss. Despite her clawing hands, he managed to hold them out of her reach and inspected three of the semiprecious gemstones.

"What are their names?"

She crossed her arms and pouted, responding sullenly, "The turquoise is Hydra, bloodstone is Kjata, and amber is Moomba. Now put them back!"

Riku tossed the amber to her and said offhandedly, "Why don't you try summoning it?"

"I just told you that I can't."

"You are a summoner, aren't you?"

Eiko glared at him and tightened her fist around the stone. "Fine, I'll _prove_ I can't do it."

She took several deep breaths to calm down and then gazed at the amber. She touched it to her horn and whispered apologies for disturbing it. Eiko concentrated, trying to link herself to the eidolon sleeping inside.

Feeling ridiculous she said, "…I don't know if you can hear me, but Grandpa used to summon you to show me what you're like. If you can hear this could you come to me…please?"

The small chunk of amber gleamed, growing warm, and then suddenly Moomba was in front of her.

"It worked!" she gaped, then suddenly hugged the eidolon that looked like a large toy lion. "How did you know?"

"I suspected the Keyblade would give you more powers, especially since you are already gifted with magical abilities."

"Oh…well then maybe it has a plus or two in its favor," she admitted.

Eiko continued to hold onto Moomba (who seemed just as happy to see her), but felt unexpectedly shy. She wanted to thank him, but now she was embarrassed for being so silly about the Keyblade earlier.

"I don't want to ask you this, but I'm not really keen on looking for my eidolon alone. Especially with those crazies out there. Could you maybe…"

She trailed off a bit pathetically but Riku saw that she had proved herself useful and less of a brat than he thought. And despite his aversion to pairing up with her, he knew she would be safer with him than without him, not to mention there was the possibility that her summoning could come in handy if they got in a tight spot.

"Hey, if we want to find your eidolon then we'll have to reach the spot where it is first."

Moomba began hopping excitedly around and crouched down in front of her.

"He wants us to ride him," she laughed. "He can move so quickly that no one'll even know we're there even if we're in the middle of a gang of 'em."

Riku stared at the little creature. "I don't think I can fit."

She stepped back and looked at Moomba too, then after a moment she had to agree with Riku's assessment. "Well, maybe he could come back for you."

"He's still too small for me. You just get on and I'll follow. Believe me, I'll be fine no matter where you go."

Her eyes appeared skeptic, but she mounted her 'steed' and scratched him behind the ears affectionately. "We need to find the eidolon who needs help. Can you sense it?"

Moomba raised his nose to the wind and gave a delighted snort. He leaped down the cliff, landing safely at the bottom and then bounded through the trees. When it grew impassible, he climbed up stone branches and they made their way along the twisted, treacherous paths high above the forest floor.

Eiko glanced back, sure that her companion had been left far behind, but his black cloak was just within reach as they traveled. Only among the trees as they leaped from branch to branch did he lag behind, but certainly not much.

They continued on for quite a ways, seeing the occasional Nobody-monster scuttling about, then the eidolon came to a halt. Moomba sniffed curiously and jumped downward from branch to branch until he returned to the earth, padding up to what appeared to be a divide. Although the trees behind them were transformed into stone, there seemed to be a line in front of them where the trees became green and alive. Some plants had part of themselves in each area.

She slid down and the miniature lion gave her a lick before fading from sight. The summoner reached out and, sure enough, her hand came up against a barrier. It was stronger than Carbuncle's.

Riku placed a hand on her shoulder. "My Keyblade can't lock the Keyholes of different worlds, but it can do simple things like unlock doors and clear the occasional magical obstacle."

"Really? It's that easy?"

She inspected Way to the Dawn in her hand and waved it experimentally. When there was no response forthcoming, the girl scowled and shook the weapon as if to see if it was broken.

"It takes some practice."

The teenager beckoned mentally and Soul Eater appeared in his hand. He held it straight out and a beam of light stretched from the weapon to the barrier. For the briefest moment there seemed to be resistance, but then Riku felt the magic give way. Eiko was clearly amazed and waved her hands about to make sure he had truly dispelled the invisible barrier.

Then she tripped over a stone and flew forward, arms pinwheeling as she desperately tried to keep her balance. In mid-fall Riku caught the ornament on her back and prevented her from planting her face very neatly on the ground.

She hid her embarrassed frustration by muttering, "Showoff…"

"Clumsy," he muttered back, but he seemed likely to laugh any second.

**For those of you who don't know Moomba (FF8), I have a cute picture of one on my profile. They're actually supposed to be somewhat oafish and uncoordinated, but I felt they were just too cute to describe as these stumbling miniature lions with paws too big for their bodies.**


	3. 3 Renewal

Chapter 3: Renewal

A scream distracted them (it sounded a little donkey-ish, strangely enough) and Eiko caught sight of a little boy scampering away. She gaped for a moment in complete shock.

"That—that's impossible… Nobody lives here. Riku, this place should be all dead!"

"You didn't imagine it, if that's what you're thinking. I saw a kid just now too, so there _must_ be someone living here despite the impossible. Why don't we go see?"

He led the way and Eiko trailed him, still dumbfounded. They passed through more green trees until there was a hint of clearing ahead. Excited voices came from there and when they got closer they could see a couple mud brick houses with flat roofs and straw doors. But the people who had gathered rushed on them immediately.

Riku's Keyblade was there in a flash and he thrust his other hand behind him to warn Eiko to stay back. All the inhabitants of this place were anthropomorphic with horse-like appearances, though others had scales and walked hunched over like giant reptiles. Some even had features of both.

"It's them!"

"A summoner?"

"You banished the barrier, didn't you?"

"Have you rescued us?"

"We've been waiting for you!"

"Are you from Madain Sari?"

"Will you save us?"

As their words registered, Eiko realized they weren't trying to attack. She placed her hand on Riku's arm and he looked back at her, coming to the same conclusion.

"It looks like they know about you," he said as his weapon vanished. "You did say you were a summoner from Madain Sari, right?"

"Yeah." She was still confused and not sure what to say even though everyone seemed to be expecting something.

A stately man with hooves on his feet and an equine face approached and the crowd quieted as they drew back respectfully. "Welcome to Heart of the Forest," he bowed graciously. "We have not had visitors in nearly thirteen years, so I hope you forgive them. Please come this way."

Finally given direction, they did as they were told. Riku noticed the flowing river beyond a small field of assorted vegetable plants but he couldn't stop to observe it or the ones working in it because the horse-man went at a clipped pace.

They headed toward a larger collection of brick houses, probably the village proper, and everyone who saw them instantly broke out into chatter and tried to ask them questions which their guide warded off with a wave of his staff. They followed at a distance, especially the children.

Windows and doors opened as they passed, revealing bright eyes and hopeful faces, but the man continued to lead them forward until they came to a rudely cobbled square where a well and a trio of statues were set up. No one was there and even the children had stopped following.

At last he spoke. "I am the Elder of this village. Ever since the barrier was constructed permanently to protect this place from becoming like the rest of the forest we have been unable to leave. You have freed us from our prison and allowed this place to become our home willingly once again."

"A permanent barrier…" Eiko murmured to herself. "Of course… The eidolon I sensed was set up to keep the town from being overrun by the stoning spell three years ago…but in order to use an eidolon, there had to be summoners here."

"Yes," the Elder replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "All three of our summoners sacrificed themselves for it."

Eiko gaped at him, not sure whether she'd heard right. "_What?_ Three of them?"

The Elder indicated the statues beside the well and she looked, though still stunned at the revelation that there were more survivors from her hometown. The carvings were all one-horned people were touching an object, heads bowed but their shoulders squared defiantly.

"So you made this to honor their memory," Riku said.

"No. It _is_ them."

Eiko ran forward and gazed disquietly. Two were women and the other was a man, and the object they all touched was an iron ore.

"That explains it… This is the eidolon Golem. He can only block physical attacks which wouldn't have helped against the stoning, but they were able to use him as a medium to absorb the spell into themselves to save the village and the surrounding area. It also trapped everyone here." She stared at the statues, almost as though trying hard to recognize them. "Who were they?"

The Elder pointed to each as he named them, "Patris and Erime were married, and that's her sister Kerii."

"Besides me and Dagger, these were the only other summoners who escaped…" she trailed off sadly. "It would have been nice to…"

Riku stepped forward, seeing the pain written all over her face and wanting to direct her thoughts away from what was lost. Before he could say anything, however, there came a cry for help nearby.

Eiko and Riku were running toward the commotion instantly and within half a minute found the source. There was a high-pitched screeching and the young man summoned his Keyblade just in time to slice the head off a plant-monster. Two children were on the ground crying while a teenager with scales and a horse tail sat on the ground trying to move his leg unsuccessfully.

Eiko used her Keyblade to cast Stona and Heal, then she turned back to her companion. "They're not safe here anymore. That's just the first one. Who knows if more might show up or if those two guys will. What should we do?"

By then the Elder had arrived and started to thank them for their aid but Riku stopped him. "Everyone must leave. Tell them to take nothing except their families. It might be too late even now."

He saw the urgency in their eyes and the dead creature on the ground. Waving his staff he began to call everyone to find their families and head for the old river path leading out of the forest.

"It is only three miles to the rim of Evil Forest from here."

"Go and keep running unless you hear from us. If we can't stop those things, they'll still be on your trail," Riku continued. He looked over at Eiko and added, "She'll make sure you make it out safely."

Eiko's eyes flashed for an instant, but then she looked at the villagers calling to one another in a panic. Without a word she nodded.

"Good. We need to split up to let everyone know."

The young man headed for the field to warn them there and the Elder went toward the houses on the outskirts, but Eiko slipped into the trees when they weren't looking. This isolated place reminded her of Madain Sari. Its sheltered people, their unique attributes, and even the impending doom stretching its dark hand toward them…

What could she do? What could one little nine-year-old girl do?

Eiko's fists clenched. She wasn't just a girl. She was a summoner. Now it was a matter of deciding on the best course of action. She would do what Riku said. She could make sure they got out safely, but in her own way.

She didn't think it wise to summon a powerful eidolon. Her grandpa had warned her that if she ever summoned one too strong or one that did not respect her, she could easily lose her life.

The young child knelt behind a tree and quickly emptied her pouch to look through her store, pushing aside Kjata, Bismarck, Pandemona, Salamander, and Hydra. She couldn't be sure they would give her authority over them. The only ones left were practically harmless: Remora, Siren, Kirin, Sylph, and Moomba. Then of course she had her usual eidolons: Carbuncle, Fenrir, and Phoenix.

Phoenix… Was it possible she could be the answer?

She didn't have time to think this through. Riku was right about abandoning the village, but she suspected that if the caped men came and saw the stoned summoners, they would destroy them. She couldn't bear to let that happen.

Her short, purple hair flying, the little girl made her way to the boundary between the living vegetation and the petrified forest.

The village was situated in a higher area and she could see down into the trees below. As she stood observing, the flicker of moving things began to tickle the far edges of her vision. The Nobody-creatures would be at the village soon. It was now or never.

She pulled the Keyblade from the strap at her waist and also a shimmering feather out of her pouch. With a deep breath and a wave of the weapon, she said, "Phoenix, I have a job for you."

The giant firebird appeared in a burst of golden feathers, her wings dashed with yellow, red, bright green and violet, her peacock-like tail waving softly back and forth as she hovered in place.

Eiko bit her lip, suddenly uncertain. She couldn't be sure what would happen. If things went badly…

She made her decision and called out boldly, "Restore the forest. Bring the dead wood back to life!"

Obedient as always, Phoenix gave a musical call and soared away. Her tail brushed treetops and they grew green. The new life traveled down their trunks, spreading everywhere. After a full sweep over the forest she disappeared.

Quickly, before Phoenix's spell could reach the roots, Eiko pulled out a pearl and spoke to it.

"Siren, I never met you but Grandpa told me about the power of your voice. Please come."

The response was immediate. A blond woman in a long flowing dress of creamy blue and green, reminiscent of ocean waves, appeared. She lifted a harp into her lap as she knelt on the forest floor, seeming to know what was expected of her. Her song began, and the summoner could not be sure if there were any words, but the images in her head were of growing things, gathering of sunlight, gentleness and protection; the way plants should be.

Eiko was so distracted by the song that she failed to realize someone had appeared behind her until he reached down and grabbed the back of her neck. Her Keyblade fell to the ground as she was lifted off her feet. A large tomahawk flew end over end through the air until it landed with a heavy _thunk_ dangerously close to the woman. Siren gave a startled gasp before she faded out of sight.

The man holding Eiko didn't say a word, but he also refused to loosen his grip. His hood had fallen back and she saw that he had dark brown hair and an expression between unconcern and disgust.

"Who are you?" she cried, trying again to pry one of his fingers loose. They were like iron!

She could see the monsters nearby scuttling to and fro restlessly, apparently waiting for a signal to proceed. The other man was nowhere to be seen.

"You may call me Lexaeus, but I doubt that information will be useful since you will be dead soon. If you were using that music to get these creatures to put down roots and grow, then you're mistaken. What you forget is that they never were plants, and Nobodies don't care much for music either." But he paused a moment, thinking of his cohort Demyx.

During that instant Eiko reached for her weapon, wishing she had it. There was a flash of light and it was in her hand. Reacting with pure instinct, she swung it back into the man's face.

He stepped back in surprise and she slipped away. For a moment the summoner felt elated as she realized he was not following.

Then the earth exploded beneath her feet. Eiko shrieked as she went flying, but someone caught her—only to slam her to the ground, face-up. Every wisp of air burst out of her lungs at the impact and she lied there frantically attempting to draw in air, only getting the smallest amount beneath the weight of his hand on her chest.

The string securing the pouch of stones to her waist snapped as Lexaeus plucked it off, staring at it with the first hint of interest he'd displayed yet.

"These must be what Vexen wanted. The auras are—"

"Help!" she managed to scream at last.

As her weak voice echoed, something heard her. It lay in a dark place, almost lulled to sleep by Siren's song, but the outcry brought it into awareness once again. No longer contaminated by senseless greed and insatiable hunger of Evil Forest's former master, the true heart of the forest was cleansed and ready to defend the little creature that had returned its life.

Vines shot out of the trunks, snaking down into the ranks of the Nobodies. They screeched in their high-pitched voices as a hundred were crushed within seconds. The dozens that were left scattered everywhere, only to fall prey to more vengeful vines.

But then the forest gave off a feeling of tiredness. Trees were not meant to move so freely. _Sleep deeply…eat earth…drink water…sleep…_

Their movement ceased less than a minute later, leaving only a few plant-spiders, all of the villagers, and four human-like people untouched.


	4. 4 Eviction

**Chapter 4: Eviction**

The scientist made a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat. Practically his entire army was gone in less than three minutes. That annoyed him to no end, especially after his research had been proven correct. His two choices were start over or give the Superior news of his failure, neither of which he wanted to do.

There was still the Heartless-barrier, of course, but so far he'd been unable to detect anything he could utilize. All he had from this world was the Nobody-experiment—and now not even that.

He watched from a high place as Lexaeus knelt over the child. Let her suffer…

%*%

The Silent Hero gazed at the purple-haired girl with a slight hint of anger now and picked her up with his fingers around her throat. "Don't do that again."

Eiko struggled as her feet left the ground, the weight of her body dragging down and adding pressure to her frail lungs. Helpless tears ran from her closed eyes while she tried to inhale, but only succeeded in making a painful choking sound. Her fingers clawed at his black sleeve uselessly as every thought in her mind fled with the dire need to _breathe_.

"Release her," Riku ordered from behind.

Lexaeus turned his head and tightened the hold on his victim slightly. Eiko thrashed and kicked wildly before suddenly going limp, then he dropped her at his feet where she lied at an awkward angle without moving. At that, Riku gave an outraged battlecry and summoned his sword, aqua eyes flashing with anger as he streaked toward the man.

The Nobody's oversized tomahawk reappeared in his grasp and he gave his own bellow, energy building around him in an impenetrable wall. The boy barely managed to block it with Soul Eater, and even so it took a heavy toll. Eiko appeared to be in the eye, however, and he hoped she was alright.

The ground shook beneath Riku's feet and he barely had time to leap straight up to avoid an earth-shattering attack. In the next instant he sped past Lexaeus, striking out to disarm him. However, the tomahawk twisted at an odd angle, blocking the blow, and the man's arm snaked out to grab him by the throat.

Not expecting his enemy's weaponless assault, Riku lost hold of his Keyblade and felt himself swung about like a lasso. The man released him at the peak of his circle, causing the teenager to slam upside-down and back-first into a tree at the edge of the clearing.

He tumbled to the ground, but forced himself to his feet. Panting hard, he realized he couldn't fight Lexaeus this way, so he braced himself and called to his Darkness.

…It didn't come!

Riku tried harder, reaching for it with all his might, but still it refused to obey. He fell back against the tree, drained from both his battering and the failed attempt to summon power.

The Nobody's bass laugh seemed to echo through the clearing. "I assume you're having trouble. Is the Darkness in you really so unstable that you can't control it any longer?"

The weakened teenager gave no answer, but began to wonder the same thing himself. Was he losing his hold on it again? Come to think of it, he hadn't needed his blindfold since he came. Was he conquering it or was it being unstable, as Lexaeus put it?

During these thoughts the man had crossed the clearing and now stood over Riku with the barest hint of gloating in his face. The heavy weapon at his side was lifted into the air, poised above his victim.

Riku nearly laughed, he was so distracted by the pain, exhaustion, and questions that were so pointless now since he was about to die.

%*%

Eiko gave a strangled noise that went unnoticed, then she forced her eyes open. She saw Lexaeus seize Riku like he had seized her and hurl him into a tree. …And yet the boy got to his feet moments later.

If only _she_ was so strong. Not a single limb moved. It took all her effort to breathe without wheezing or coughing. Everything was painful! The ribcage around her lungs felt cracked and every breath down her throat was raw agony! Still, she clenched her teeth and continued to watch the pair.

Now her attempted protector was facing the big man, but his eyes weren't focused. He seemed to be looking at something invisible, and she saw his hands beginning to tremble as they reached for the unseen object. As if a stretched wire had been cut, Riku suddenly slumped back breathing as though he'd been trapped underwater during his trance.

Lexaeus mentioned something strange about Darkness, but she hardly listened because she spotted something lying on the ground not two feet away: her pouch.

It must have fallen when Riku was grabbed and thrown. Eiko's hand was already angled in its direction and she tried to reach for it, but despite every shred of willpower in her body, only one _finger_ moved.

Again she tried, but failed. A glance back at the two cloaked figures and she knew there was no time left. Lexaeus lifted the heavy tomahawk into the air with such slowness that it seemed impossible to have appeared out of thin air.

Appearing out of thin air…

With that idea, the fragment of a thought occurred to her and she begged the Keyblade to heed her call. It appeared at once, the very tip touching the pouch. With all her will she called to them, not specifying any particular one; merely any that would come.

%*%

In a place that could easily be called another dimension—yet took up space in the world of Gaia—an eidolon stood guard. He shifted his great bulk a little and exhaled a wave of water into the shifting, uncertain world around him merely to stretch a little.

There were more impacts on his barrier and he gave an irritated noise that echoed, deep and brutish. The attacks from Heartless almost never slackened, but they had been getting stronger lately and occasionally he had to fight one. Easily done but still irksome business.

Suddenly there was a sound from behind. He kept one eye on the barrier and the other focused on the newcomer. _Siren?_ Why was she here? There had only been two times in the last 500 years when eidolons intruded on each other's domains: once when Odin, Atomos, and Behemoth were summoned by a non-summoner, and once when the Heartless first appeared. Both times they had taken action, but no further communication was made between the eidolons.

By now the Summon that looked like a woman, only much larger, had approached. Her face was distraught and she began speaking as soon as he acknowledged her, sending illusions to show what she'd seen.

"Bismarck, there is a new enemy! He was so subtle I did not even notice his presence until he attacked me."

"What manner of creature is it?" he asked in his throaty voice.

"I do not know. It was empty but full of power…and memories. Almost the very opposite of the Heartless."

She waited for his answer but Bismarck did not even bother. His temper flared with the realization that they had allowed deadly enemies into the world and his bass voice echoed throughout his domain and spilled over into the others like a tidal wave. It carried with it images of what Siren had just described so that all the other eidolons knew what they were facing.

"We go to this enemy."

Knowing they could not take on physical form without a summoner's aid Siren tried to reason with him, "Bismarck, none of us have been called—"

"Do you think I care for the child? We stamp out the plague before it begins, no matter the consequences. If we must, we will call to _her_."

Siren bent to his wishes. After all, he was one of the strongest of them all and the most decisive. She steeled herself for the assault on this new creature, but first on the summoner.

%*%

Eiko continued to call, hoping they would hear her…but then she recalled her grandpa telling her to wait until she was sixteen to summon stronger eidolons.

_These are not mindless beings we summon. Though they obey, we are not their masters nor can we master them. Do not presume your own abilities or allow them to take advantage of you, otherwise you may not find yourself as you should be. How do you think our ancestors got their horns? Others were not so lucky, ending up with bones twisted so badly they hardly looked human, or worse. One can never predict what might happen, and those limits are set for good reason._

She gasped with this realization and tried to change her order, calling to just one, but it was already too late.

Eiko was overcome by a feeling of many eidolons yearning to be released. She _couldn't_ control them… Her blue eyes shot wide as power began to fill her body unlike anything that had ever happened before. She wasn't old enough to handle it! Grandpa had warned her and now she knew it was really true! It was too much, too much! Her body contorted and stretched, trying to find a way to contain this power without being conquered.

She couldn't!

The whole world exploded as all thirteen eidolons burst into being. The sky darkened and brightened at once with Kjata's stormy clouds and Salamander's flame. Bismarck rose on a swell of magical water over the forest while Siren screeched a terrifying song and Hydra's many snaking heads growled and snapped from every direction.

The purple figure of Pandemona crouched at the ready, strong gusts sweeping across the field and mingling with Fenrir's own wolf-headed winds. Little winged Sylphs darted forward to cast their healing powers on the summoner while Moomba stood protectively over her.

They and the rest fanned out around the clearing, crouching or floating as they were wont to do. They seemed to fade in and out of sight in such confusing, shifting ways that anyone watching would not have known how many there were.

Lexaeus realized the danger at once and tried to teleport away, but half a dozen little fish of the Remora summon latched on, keeping him from escaping.

As Riku stared, unsure whether it was wise to help or not, he noticed the figure of a young girl standing straight and tall, in the center of the elemental maelstrom. The wing ornament on her back had expanded so that she looked like a full-grown angel. Above Eiko, the huge whale lowered his head until one large red eye found the Nobody, then words pulsed inside his head.

_"We guard this world against intruders, creature. We caught the Heartless when they first arrived and killed here, but because you wore a man-like shape we did not realize you too were an enemy. Your kind will not come here again, nor will any others. Gaia is protected."_

By now the Organization Thirteen member was clearly shaken by this impressive display, but he was by no means a coward. Power built up in a torrent around him and he gave a bellow of deep, bass fury. The attack exploded outward in waves of earth and pure energy, and for a moment Riku thought for sure the eidolons would be overwhelmed.

But through the dust and bursts of light he could see flashes of color as each creature attacked. Phoenix sent a billowing wave of fire, followed closely by Bismarck's swell of whipping ocean water. Kjata instantly sent his four-pronged attack of lightning, ice, fire, and earth, then the wind summons began their attack.

And Lexaeus's own retaliations grew weaker until he could no longer defend himself.

Salamander's burst of flame from his mouth sent the man to his knees, only supported by the tomahawk. It was obvious he was at the very end of his strength, but his face could have been that of a statue for all the emotion it displayed.

"Even if I fail, the Organization will destroy you all!" he shouted defiantly, slamming one gloved hand flat against the ground.

An answering rumble gave only a second or two of warning before the clearing and the surrounding area for a quarter-mile in every direction suddenly shot upward. Riku found himself flying through the air along with the tree he'd been leaning against. The air was full of boulders and shredded trees, and he had no idea what was up or down.

Something bumped into him and he grabbed hold of it. Riku found himself staring at a vaguely deer-like creature with silver scales and a green mane who seemed to be shielding him against the debris as she floated in midair with him. Kirin stared straight back as if Riku had fallen out of nowhere, but she galloped down and let him off onto solid land before vanishing.

He looked around. There was no trace of the Silent Hero on the small mountain that had appeared in the middle of the Evil Forest.

Not far away, at the very peak of this new addition, Eiko was being protected by Carbuncle's glittering shield. As soon as the enemy had been defeated, every eidolon began to fade out of sight. Kjata was the last to go, and the huge, many-horned bull turned his eyes toward Riku and gave a boarish grunt, an unmistakable warning that he was barely welcome.

Once they were all gone, Eiko sagged as though she were a puppet with severed strings. Riku climbed up quickly and made his way over to pick the girl up.

Summoning _thirteen_ eidolons at once…

%*%

Even in her half-wakened state, Eiko Carol knew that she should be experiencing a great amount of pain. The memory of Lexaeus's fingers around her throat was still so vivid that she almost expected them to be there now.

Joyful voices in the near-distance greeted her ears and Eiko opened her eyes slowly. The Keyblade was resting in her hands and she herself was in a bed. Someone stood in the doorway, back facing her. She almost didn't recognize him without the long cloak.

"Riku, is he gone?"

He turned and Eiko realized she hadn't really gotten much of a look at him until that moment. He seemed so different in regular clothes. He didn't look so much older or "mature" and the hard angles of his face were softened somehow, not to mention he appeared more relaxed. He noticed her surprise.

"The cloak keeps me hidden, but I don't need it here since Gaia is free of Heartless and Nobodies. Your eidolons killed Lexaeus in a pretty climactic show." He paused, his brows wrinkling a little. "You know, I'm amazed you're awake. It's only been a couple hours since you summoned them."

She put a hand to her head, touching the horn there as if to make sure it hadn't disappeared. "I didn't mean to… They summoned themselves. They just needed my invitation. Still…I can't believe I'm not dead after that."

"Well, you'll be glad to hear your Phoenix did a good job, and I don't mean the trees. She restored your summoner friends. They're being fawned over by the villagers right now but they kept asking to see you earlier."

Eiko's heart leaped into her throat but there didn't seem to be any words for her to say. They were _alive_. And they wanted to see _her!_ She bit her lip to keep from smiling too widely and lowered her eyes.

Riku himself couldn't help remembering the short time he'd been alone with her after Lexaeus's demise. Somehow he had expected the change that had come over her to vanish along with the summons. When it didn't, he assumed such a feat enacted a permanent price upon its bearer.

"I…I need my keychain back, if you don't mind," he said a bit awkwardly, "and I can't take your Keyblade from you."

She tugged at it, but it still refused to detach and Eiko shrugged sheepishly. "Then I guess I'm kind of stuck with it. I wish I could do something that might help. Wait…"

She reached behind her head. The clasp keeping the wing-decoration on her back came unlatched and she presented it to him.

"I would like you to keep this. Thank you…for everything."

Riku gazed at her in disbelief, but the sincerity and pleasure in her eyes robbed him of any desire to refuse the gift. It was obviously something very precious to Eiko if she was offering it in lieu of his keychain, so declining could be more hurtful than taking it.

As he touched it, his hand brushed hers and there was a flash of light. The girl ducked in surprise but when she looked up again, the wings could easily fit in the palm of his hand and there were small chain links trailing from it.

"It turned into a keychain?"

"Sometimes it happens when a gift is truly given and… and accepted with a pure heart." He looked at her with a hint of a smile. "I can feel the wind inside this one. If I'm listening to it just right, it's saying it wants to be called Heaven's Zephyr."

The summoner stared at him with one eyebrow raised. "I can't tell if you're joking with me or not."

"I won't use it just yet. I'd rather save it for now." He picked up the discarded cloak by the doorway. "I can't stay any longer. I'm overdue as it is. My friend needs to be protected."

"Will you come back?" she asked, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. But Eiko still felt a bit dizzy and couldn't stand just yet.

"If I can get past your eidolons, yes. If not, I'll still make it. That's a promise."

"And if you don't, I'll be sure to come find you. I promise you that, even if it's just to give you a beating for not returning like you said."

He laughed unexpectedly and she gave a half-embarrassed grin, but then she grew a bit more serious.

"If your keychain comes off, I'll find a way to let you know, Riku."

"I'm leaving Way to the Dawn in your care, Summoner Eiko."

The young man then put on his cloak and retied the blindfold he hadn't used since arriving. With a wave he exited the little house and disappeared into the afternoon sunlight. Eiko forced herself to get up but something was very strange about her legs. They seemed wobbly, as if she hadn't used them in days, and also noticed that for some reason her clothes felt very tight.

She managed to stumble outside, wanting to see him off…but he was gone.

The little town was now overshadowed by a miniature mountain, and nearby the excited villagers were crowded together, all trying to talk over each other as each one tried to attract the attention of whoever was at the center. While their interest was elsewhere, she managed to make her way unobserved past the houses to the edge of the forest.

Eiko had to lean against a tree as she caught her breath, hoping to catch even a glimpse of his black cloak. The forest around her almost seemed to breathe and she closed her eyes to feel it more easily.

That's when she realized it was breathing at the same rate she was. In fact…not only was it breathing with her, but somehow she could feel its Heart beating alongside hers. Was she merely aware of it or had she unconsciously placed part of her own heart there when Siren had sung the forest to peacefulness?

Before she had much longer to contemplate this, the sound of a _kweh!_ nearby interrupted her thoughts. Choco rode up to the edge of Heart of the Forest where she stood and his passenger stared in surprise at the surroundings.

Eiko shook her head and called, "Well, you certainly missed everything this time, Zidane."

The man with a monkey-tail looked down at her in confusion. "Eiko, is that you? What did you do to yourself?"

For the first time she looked down and realized her body looked like that of a sixteen-year-old.

%*%

Vexen gave a sneer as he observed Gaia's new barrier, guarded fiercely by its vigilant eidolons. No foreigner could pass through now. He would have enjoyed more time in that place, finding out its secrets.

But what intrigued him most was the girl. If there were ways to call the eidolons and confine them, perhaps Organization Thirteen could learn to control them.

Well, he certainly could not find her now. But just because he could not go there did not mean she would not come out…

Luckily he was the patient type.


	5. 1 Always Searching

**A Collection of Hearts #2: ****The Heart of Atlantis**

**Unnerved by his loss of control over the power of Darkness after meeting Eiko, Riku began to wonder if it was getting worse. His inability to bear even ordinary light most of the time seemed to support this chilling theory. After nearly a month of debating, he decided to search for answers.**

**Chapter 1: Always Searching**

Hollow Bastion's occupants went about their business, destroying Heartless and trying to recover their homes and former lives. One figure kept to the farthest reaches so that no one would notice him. This place was so familiar to him, but now that people lived in it there was so much of a difference that it hardly seemed the same to Riku.

A small house cramped between two larger ones (or rather being crushed by them) hardly looked like the sort of place the king would be, but the directions were very specific, so he boldly opened the door. Inside, sure enough, he found Mickey pacing beside a low table on which a map of the worlds was laid. There were many crossed-out lines and symbols on it. Every now and again he would mutter to himself, "Where are they?"

He looked so worried that he didn't even notice that he was no longer alone, but Riku needed to speak with him.

"Mickey, is something wrong?"

The mouse jerked around and blinked several times in astonishment. "Oh, Riku! I'm sorry I didn't go back to Twilight Town to help you protect Sora, but Leon told me some of his friends are missing. They have information and talents we're in need of here, so it's important for them to be found soon. Did you need something?"

He stood up straight and decided to ask without beating around the bush. "Where can I find someone who can explain the Darkness to me?"

The king's response was immediate. "Explain the Darkness? Riku, what's wrong?"

He hadn't wanted to burden someone who already had so many problems, so he sidestepped the question. "It's important to understand our enemies. We need to find out more than we know now and that requires gathering intelligence."

Mickey looked slightly suspicious, but he gave the idea some thought. "There is someone who has been gathering knowledge for centuries. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew even more than Master Yen Sid."

"Can you direct me to him?"

The mouse looked critically at the map in front of him and pointed to some coordinates that Riku quickly memorized. "It's called Atlantis. That world had protection against the Heartless, so its original pathway should still be intact and I'll bet you'll be there in half a day. The man you're looking for shouldn't be too hard to find since he's the king…though I haven't been there in many years. I hope he still honors our agreement."

"Thanks. I'll be leaving Sora in your hands."

"Riku, wait." The little king's voice stopped him from leaving, but Riku wanted nothing more than to avoid an interrogation. "Is there something else bothering you?"

"Nothing you can help me with, Your Highness."

He was gone before Mickey could protest. To avoid being seen and mistaken for part of the Organization he teleported directly back to his personal gummi ship. The coordinates he entered made the board light up cheerily and he departed Hollow Bastion as silently as he'd entered.

%*%

On the ten-hour trip he had plenty of time to think about his life up to that point. He was worried about the Organization and what they were planning, not to mention the disheartening knowledge that his best friend had a Nobody in their ranks.

Riku couldn't help wondering who that person was, whether he was anything like Sora, or if he might have to fight him someday. His newest goal (besides protecting the lazy kid) was to destroy the Organization, and if the mysterious Nobody was part of it, then he too was an enemy.

But if he was similar to Sora…could Riku go through with it? It seemed so hard to imagine his friend as an opponent from the Realm of Nothingness.

Riku tried to distract himself from thinking too deeply on the subject after that. It wasn't something he hoped he would have to do and it didn't seem useful to obsess over what-ifs.

But even as he resolved not to think about that, _other_ thoughts began creeping in.

Idly, he summoned his Keyblade and stared at Soul Eater's wicked edge. Losing Way to the Dawn to that _girl_ meant more to him than he would have expected. It almost represented something he could use to prove he wasn't a creature bound only to Darkness. Without it…

He was only too glad when he entered the new world and docked.

%*%

The exit opened and he stepped outside, not sure what to expect from a place called Atlantis. On the way, he'd had a vague idea of it being comparable to what he'd heard about Atlantica, but that was instantly scrapped.

Riku glanced around him, beginning to make his way farther in. It was apparent that he was underground, but the feeling of this place had nothing like the desolate atmosphere that cloaked Hades' Underworld. It simply radiated loneliness. And age.

It seemed strange to feel that from stone, but this world below seemed to reflect sensations for some reason.

Riku shrugged the hood of his cloak up to cover his head, but even that shadow didn't block the incessant _brightness_ that hurt his eyes. He wasn't quite sure where it came from since this whole area was a large, dark cavern, but he couldn't help the fact that it pained him.

The boy made sure the knot keeping his blindfold on was tight. Once his eyes were covered he began to sense outward and realized he wasn't alone. They weren't far away, whoever they were. Only one was watching him at that moment, but with curiosity more than hostility.

Well, that might change at a moment's notice if the person decided he was a threat.

The curious one trailed him at a close distance so soundlessly that if his senses hadn't been enhanced he never would have noticed. He ducked into an alcove and doubled back, silent as the shadows he hid in. The watcher passed him, oblivious to his awareness and location. He became the follower and sensed confusion from the person who was now casting about for any sign of him.

The Keyblade wielder saw the figure pause and came up behind softly. "Two can play at this game," he chided.

A gasp came from the other and Riku judged by the tenor that he was addressing a female. The spear in her hands turned on him, bare inches from his chest. He could sense the tension in her body and he ignored the pointed object in her hands as if he hadn't noticed, mainly to put her at ease.

"Why were you following me?"

"This is our world," she said defensively. But seeing him with a blindfold and apparently oblivious to her threatening weapon, she lowered it slightly and cocked her head to one side. "Who are you to trespass?"

"I was told I might find information from the ruler here. I am an ally of King Mickey."

At the name, the girl backed up a step and took hold of her weapon with both hands. "Where is the key?"

Riku held out his hand, calling Soul Eater out. It appeared and the guard instantly buried the point of her spear in the ground as she bowed with a friendly smile.

"Apologies, friend. King Mickey has not been an ambassador to our world for years. My name is Kidagakash and I will take you to meet my father, the king."

"I'm Riku." He considered her words. "Are you a princess, then?"

"The only heir. You may call me Kida if you so wish. Come, I will guide you. Take my arm."

"I can find my way. I'm not blind."

She stopped, looking him square in the face. "Not blind…?"

Before he knew it, she had pulled the strip of cloth up and his green eyes flew open in surprise. His vision was blurred, but he could see her long, white hair, a glint from a crystal around her neck, and the strangely tanned skin on her quite attractive face. Then he took in her figure… Her very nice, very semi-clothed figure…

Kida smiled sorrowfully as he yanked his protection back down. "Oh, I see. You are an _old_ child. Your eyes have an age about them but not physical years."

Riku shifted uncomfortably and tried to direct attention away from that particular aspect of himself. "I need to ask—"

"How sad," she continued as if he hadn't said anything. "It must have been a terrible experience to have hurt you so. But I can also see that you regret it, which means you have earned that age."

She'd hit very close to the mark and he'd gone to great lengths to avoid talking about it with King Mickey, much less this strange princess. Riku reacted by saying nothing, which is why he was confused when she spoke yet again as though having a conversation with him.

"I am not so. I have physical years but my eyes have no age about them. Thus my father tells me. I believe someday when I encounter true adversity I will begin to grow older in wisdom, but I live my life as a carefree child."

"Don't let it go so easily," he said without thinking.

Kida gave him an inquisitive gaze that he could not pretend to ignore.

"Memories of those simple, happy times might be all you have left someday. To forget them completely and seek adventure is the worst thing a person can do."

The woman's silence was expected, but her action was not. Tall as she was, the princess leaned over and embraced him, laying her head on his shoulder in what was probably meant to be a comforting gesture. He was so shocked that he did nothing but stand there stiffly, not sure how to respond.

"I'm so sorry you lost your childhood. I think if it had not been your own choice you might have forgiven yourself by now."

**I've seen the collages of Classic Disney Princesses but I've always wanted to see ALL of them on one poster. That includes Faline, Nala, Eilonwy, etc. Out of curiosity, which is your favorite?**

**My answer: Belle, hands down! The first realistic character who didn't act blonde all the time or talk to animals more than one would consider normal. Ariel's a close second, but started going blonde once she went gaga over some guy she never technically "met".**


	6. 2 Lessons in Logic

Chapter 2: Lessons in Logic

Riku shrugged away from the woman and she let him go with some confusion. Kida gave him a long look. "Your friends of the past did not usually give you comfort?"

"No, they did. They just didn't…do _that_. Could you please take me to your father now?"

"Very well. Follow me. Whether you find what you seek is up to him, though. He may send you away with nothing if he is not pleased by your questions."

They walked a short while until they came to a bridge made of ropes and planks, which crossed a wide gap for half a mile before meeting a large island bearing a city. Hot lava circled around it but waterfalls fell from the island itself, forming clouds of steam. Such barriers to keep the hostile elements at bay were more than impressive to the visitor.

As Riku reached the island, it came as a surprise that he could sense light coming from somewhere overhead. Not sunlight, but it was nourishing for the plants that grew hereabouts…plants that one wouldn't ordinarily find deep underground.

The feeling of age and tiredness seemed to stem from here. Moss covered all the structures, most of which were ruins choked by overgrown trees. This place had once been a city, but its buildings were crumbling or in disuse. For such a large place he felt very few inhabitants. It was one puzzle after another.

Kida took him by the wrist excitedly as they made their way into the city. She nearly dragged him up the many sets of stairs to reach the palace, and had he been the same boy on Destiny Islands only a few months earlier, he never would have made it. He could sense the curiosity and slight fear some people directed toward him, but everyone seemed to be holding themselves back and not even the children uttered a sound. That in itself struck him as odd, however he had no reason to question it.

They reached the place at last and two soldiers saluted reverently to their princess before opening the doors to a pavilion. Water spread all about the courtyard inside, half-filled with flowering lily pads. Kida lightly stepped along a path of stones placed in a haphazard spiral and Riku followed just as surely.

A dais stood in the center and an old, weary man appeared to be sleeping on a wide throne draped with furs. As they approached, he opened his eyes and focused on his guests.

"If this stranger would speak with me, I demand he not hide his face by cowl or cloth," the old man commanded.

"Father, this boy cannot—"

"It's alright, Kida," he assured her. "I will follow his rules in his domain."

Riku pushed back his hood and untied the black ribbon of cloth. He blinked in the light and tried to focus on the elderly man, then stepped back in shock.

It wasn't his imagination… The king's eyes were empty of pupils and they _glowed_.

"It has been long since last a Keyblade bearer entered Atlantis. I banned your people from this world long ago, traveler."

"This is Riku, a friend of King Mickey, Father," the princess inserted. "He has a Keyblade. And we promised to allow any of his allies passage."

"That agreement was twenty years ago, long before the Unversed came, then the Dark Halves. Every visitor leaves a rift in his wake that can be followed by enemies." The man noticed Riku's pained squinting and gestured that he could replace the blindfold, which he did quickly. "Your aura is that of Darkness mingling with Light. Strains of both essences cannot coexist in one person. One will conquer the other in time."

"H-how do you know that?"

"You are not the first who has undergone such a change and I doubt you will be the last."

Riku's interest had already been roused but now he hung onto every word the man uttered. "You mean there are others like me?"

"Only one still lives. A body cannot contain the concentration of Light and Darkness for long."

"Only one…? Where can I find that person?"

"You _have_ found him. I am he."

Riku stared with his second sight, baffled. "But—"

"One does not need to possess the power of a Keyblade in order to suffer such torment. I know more than anyone the terrible pain of Light. That is why my eyes have gone empty. I can see, but only without them as you can at this moment."

Riku nearly shrank back from him. Was this what he truly sought? Complete blindness to escape the Light? He didn't want to give up his eyes even though they were always so painful.

"What happened to the rest? All the others who experienced this?"

For a moment the king appeared to be contemplating his answer, then he said in a regretful tone, "In some, Light overcame Darkness, but in others Darkness overcame Light. Worse by far were those in whom the elements achieved a balance."

The Keyblade wielder stared in confusion. "Wouldn't a balance be the most desirable option?"

"For many cases in a person's life, yes. Peace is a difficult thing to achieve, requiring diplomacy and proper ruling without being too overbearing or lenient on subjects. Friendship needs sincerity, communication and affection, not manipulation or complete dependence. Even something as simple as food must be prepared correctly so that it is not raw or burnt. Do you see?"

Riku bowed his head, trying to catch the underlying meaning. "All of those examples have extremes, but what is sought lies somewhere in the middle."

"Precisely, stranger. These describe varying degrees of rightness, penned in on either side by wrongness." He leaned forward and gripped his guest's hands in wrinkled, fragile ones. "Now what about those things which have only two possibilities? What are the extremes?"

"Light and Darkness."

"Also known as good and evil… right and wrong… truth and deceit. There is _no_ middle ground. Can a person honestly pursue a mixture of evil _and_ good while treating them as one and the same?"

The teenager tried to think of a reply and stood silent for several moments. "…Some say the ends justify the means. If the ultimate conclusion is good, whatever methods were used can be excused."

"Do you truly believe that foolishness? That actions do not matter as long as the goal is reached?"

"I…" Riku trailed off, conflicted within. "…I'm not sure."

"If that were so, the Darkness would not have left its scars on you. It would be exactly the same as Light. If an action is tainted by evil, it cannot be fully good, but evil influenced by good does not make it less evil. How many innocents would you willingly sacrifice to create a paradise? _One_ is too many."

By now the visitor was regretting entering this world. Not only was he apparently unwelcome, but he was being morally analyzed. Already it was becoming too personal, but he couldn't leave yet. This man had the answers (or at least some) and if Riku walked away he might never find out what he sought.

"Father…" Kida interrupted kindly. "He has _age_ in his eyes though he is young."

"Ah, I see." As if that meant something deeper, the old man gave a sorrowful shake of his head. "Very well. Since you are young I will say what others neglected to warn you about before you fell into Darkness. A balance is the very worst thing one should seek. It warps a man's mind and changes his perspective. Good becomes evil. Evil becomes good. Friends change to enemies while enemies seem as friends. They lose all control over their emotions, and eventually their thoughts. There is no rationalizing with them, for that perfect balance divides a person so completely that they form two minds, always in conflict."

This description made Riku recall his alliance with Maleficent and later with Ansem. It had seemed so reasonable to seek their help, even when he knew they could not be trusted. He had meant good by his actions, but by accepting the Darkness and allowing it to take him over…what had he truly meant to accomplish, and how had he intended to climb up out of that pit?

He knew firsthand what the king was recounting and he could only hope it would not happen again. But how could he possibly avoid it…?

Kida's father leaned back, exhausted. "My body does not have the strength to continue fighting sleep. You may stay here one night only, and then I will meet with you again tomorrow when I have rested. After that you must leave. Is that understood, Stranger?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I do not ask for more than that."

%*%

Kida led him to a pavilion that overlooked more of the city. He could feel the dimming of the mysterious underground light overhead, which appeared to be forming a semblance of night for the inhabitants of Atlantis. Riku sat down on the wide pallet laid out for him and gazed sightlessly outward.

"I feel this is my fault," the woman's apologetic voice disturbed his thoughts.

"How would you think that?"

"If I had only defended you better, he might not have spoken of such things at great length. Your questions were never asked."

Riku gave an ironic smile. "I think he knew which questions I wanted to ask."

"Come with me," she commanded, dragging him to his feet. "There is something I would like you to see."

He could hardly protest and followed with many a stumble as she rushed quickly along paths she had known for years. Riku sensed they were going deeper into the more uninhabited part of the city. The warmth of people was left far behind, and in less than half an hour the faded "sun" allowed cold night to cover the world.

Water churned and splashed nearby and he knew they were approaching the shore.

"Here, I have hidden it beneath waterweed and sand but the markings are clear as if they were painted the day before yesterday."

He heard her scraping away the plants and sand to uncover the secret and Riku braced himself before untying the blindfold. Light from her crystal burned, but he ignored it forcefully and turned to the stone she knelt over.

There was a single picture of a person holding a Keyblade beneath a giant crystal and beside it were several symbols. But what was most surprising was that he could read the words even though he had never before seen hieroglyphics like these.

"It says…'the first Keyblade was born'? What is this?"

"A record of my people made long before my father's time. I do not understand it because I was never taught to read these markings, but the pictures tell me this crystal and this key are connected. Since you have a key and we have crystals I thought perhaps you would find them illuminating in some way."

He reached out to touch it and then looked up at her. "Are there more stones like these anywhere?"

"They are all waiting in the water. I managed to move this one here because it was the smallest, but the rest were too heavy. They are not far from shore if you would be willing to come see them. Just at the base of that rock. Can you swim?"

The islander gave a private grin. "Can I _swim?_"

Knowing his cloak would be bulky in the water, he left it onshore then dove in. He'd expected saltwater but it was surprisingly fresh. Kida followed him and they made their way to the rock she had pointed out. It didn't take long and as they treaded water she indicated that they would be diving deep.

Sounds dimmed to faint echoes as the watery silence overtook their senses. For the first time Riku was glad Kida's crystal glowed. Even this darkness would have been beyond his sight. That fact didn't make it less painful, of course, but he did his best to ignore the growing sting.

Far below he caught a glimpse of stones, and realized immediately what the princess had meant when she said her stone was smallest.

They had a continuous series of images, starting with people and creatures living joyously together, then later separating. The crystal in the center changed somehow, forming a key out of its light. There where the next picture should have been was nothing. Obviously the space for the image he'd seen onshore.

Words in strange symbols leaped out at him, but others made no sense even though he could mentally sound them out and they felt familiar.

_This must be the beginning. First came the Heart… all places were one and all people were one… and then in time the worlds were broken, scattered… 'he' knew the Heart must be defended… his knowledge led to… I suppose it was the creation of the first Keyblade,_ he pieced together slowly in his mind. Riku wasn't sure that he was getting everything right, but at least it made sense. There was a nameless 'someone' who orchestrated the protection of the central Heart because of a cataclysmic event.

Nearly out of air, he swam back to the surface followed by the princess. After taking in several deep swallows of fresh air he told her what he'd gleaned from the paintings.

"You mean our crystals formed the first Keyblade? Then why would my father be so opposed to them? I do not understand."

"Is that all there are? The only records?"

"No. There are more over this way on the far side of the rock. I do not know why they are here, though. They could not have fallen."

A vague suspicion tickled the back of his mind, but Riku was impatient to find the rest of the story and dove ahead of her. After his disappointing interview with the king he'd been afraid that there would be nothing of value to him in Atlantis, but this discovery might hold the solution if he could only dig deeper.

As they made their way downward, new stones came into sight, though they were more scattered and less organized than the first ones. There was instantly a noticeable difference, though. These images were dark and the markings were written differently as though the painter was placing his sadness and pain into the words as he wrote. Warlike scenes and terrified people in flight leaped out at him.

Riku's eyes grew wider as he swam quickly from one to another, trying to reconstruct this new narrative. He stayed so long that bubbles began leaking from his mouth and his companion had to drag him upward.

"You should not have done that," she berated, guiding his hands to the stable rock so that he did not sink beneath the waves. "I do not want to be the cause of your death."

He gasped in air and tried to talk at the same time. "How old are those records?"

Kida blinked in confusion as she answered, "They were made many thousands of years ago, though I do not know for certain the exact age. Is something wrong?"

"Heartless! They describe a great battle against the Heartless… The worlds were all one a long time ago, but then Heartless began to appear. The worlds didn't separate because Darkness divided them. They did it voluntarily in order to protect themselves."

Her brow creased. "But…my father has never said such a thing. He would have told me."

"Maybe he was trying to protect you," Riku said in a low voice as his suspicion began to flesh itself out. "Does anybody know how to read?"

"Only the eldest among us, but they are few and do not speak much."

"Then that explains it. For some reason your father doesn't want this to get out."

"Why?"

"That is what we'll have to ask him tomorrow."

Kida visibly deflated and the boy almost laughed at the unexpected satire that had struck her untroubled life. She had brought him here to cheer him up, most likely, but the mystery only served to catch her up in its grasp and throw doubt upon the one she trusted most.

**The idea of Light and Darkness that are perfectly balanced driving someone insane actually came from **The Fellowship of the Ring**. The scene made me wonder how someone like Riku could be a blending of both. The answer: he can't. Of course KHII pretty much debunked that anyway, but technically that hasn't happened yet here. Shh! Don't tell him before it happens!**

**Poll question! I asked about favorite Disney princesses last time, so what about princes? **

**My answer: I can't help picking the Beast, but second in line has got to be Mufasa. Sorry Simba! You're just not cut out to be king in my book.**


	7. 3 Visitors are Not Welcome

**Chapter 3: Visitors are Not Welcome**

Riku hadn't expected Kida to mention anything to other members of the city, but apparently while he slept she had brought her thoughts to one of the elders. He did not reply to her questions, saying that they were only to be addressed to her father.

But others had overheard the hushed conversation, knowing instinctively that this secretive exchange was related to the stranger in some way. Their curiosity created whispered rumors that seemed to be carried by the wind, so quickly did they spread.

No word was spoken against the king, but an earnest desire for the truth began to eat at the younger Atlantians as they wondered for the first time in many, many years what sort of past their people possessed. Being so long-lived, they had lost a sense of history.

When a strange woman brought Riku food in the morning, she gave him a shy glance and asked, "You can read markings…even with your eyes hidden?"

He turned his face toward her and gave a slight smile. "I need to use them in order to read."

"Could you…?" She held out a parchment.

Willing to oblige, Riku untied his blindfold and squinted at the paper as he took it. The strange symbols appeared to slide into meaning and he read aloud what he saw. Right away he recognized it as poetry.

"Before the earth closed overhead, there was a sky. When there was a sky, water fell from it. When water fell, there was wind so fierce it seemed alive. When there was wind, it carried clouds like white smoke…" He continued, ending at last with a description of a sunset and the crescent moon rising amid the blanket of stars.

He looked at her and saw a tanned woman with an aged beauty. There were the gleamings of tears in her eyes as she gazed at the paper in his hands.

"I have never seen those things. This was in my mother's belongings, but she never told me what it meant. It has been so very long since anyone used ink to record words or thoughts."

Four others came asking Riku to read while he waited for the princess to arrive.

%*%

The king of Atlantis gazed at nothing as the doors to his pavilion opened to admit two people. Feelings of confusion and turmoil came from his daughter, which surprised him. She had probably been speaking with the stranger and he introduced her to many ideas from the other worlds.

He had heard whispers during the night, and suspected the boy had said or done something significant. If his people were speaking of it quietly among themselves then it must be very intriguing to them. Now as he stood before the ruler of Atlantis, the traveler seemed more than merely that. There was almost a veiled intent behind his position as he prepared to speak.

"Your Highness," Riku began, "I do not mean to be offensive, but my time here is short and I need to know if the legend about one ancient, single world and the Heartless is true."

The king's face clouded over with anger as the nighttime whispers began to make sense. "So, not only do you trespass on my good will, but you spread lies among my people!"

"Father," Kida's voice was filled with hurt and she didn't seem able to vocalize her thoughts readily. "…The stones in the water. The ones with pictures and writing… I showed them to him and he understood their story. Is it true?"

"You found the stones…?" The surprise in his expression grew dark again and he faced the young man. "Leave."

"But I need to know," Riku insisted. "Please tell me if that is really the history of the worlds. Did the first Keyblade come from the crystals in this place?"

"_**Leave!**_" he shouted, standing up to his full height and pointing toward the exit. "You bring disunity to my city and demand answers for questions you have no right to ask."

His daughter stepped forward with uncertainty in every movement. "Do _I_ have the right to ask? Will you answer _me_? It was my fault he saw the stones, Father, but now you cannot deny their existence. Did you hide them? …Did you stop our people from reading?"

Riku remained silent, waiting for the king's answer. Obviously this was agonizing to him and he leaned heavily on the staff in his hand. His hard eyes began to soften and the king gave a long, rattling sigh of defeat before returning to his throne seemingly devoid of strength.

"Yes. To all your questions… yes. Those stones are records of the greatest error our civilization ever committed, which is why I had them hidden long ago. The worlds _were_ all one long ago, but when the Dark Halves appeared…"

His white eyes flickered and he started, sitting fully upright as he stared toward the entrance. Kida rushed over to him and asked if he was alright.

"It seems your rift allowed passage for your pursuers, Stranger."

"What?" he stared in confusion. "That's impossible… My cloak keeps them from tracking me. I haven't taken if off since—"

Realization struck him like thunder. Mentally he cursed himself for being so stupid. If only he had kept it on to swim out to the stones…

Riku took a few steps toward the exit with the idea of defending the city in mind, but there was a swirl of dark energy and someone was abruptly standing behind the king. His Keyblade appeared and he started forward, but the figure stopped him with one outthrust hand.

"If you desire the old one's death I urge you to continue. If not, release the weapon."

Riku's knuckles turned white but Soul Eater disappeared in a cloud of black mist. Kida looked questioningly at him and then to the new arrival: a tall man with a cloak very much like her guest's, but an arrogant expression framed by ragged, pale pink hair.

"Who are you? And why do you threaten my father? He has done nothing to you."

The newcomer turned to gaze at her, then gave a deep, exaggerated bow. "Ah, a Princess of Heart. So there are more than seven hiding in the sea of worlds. Well, Princess, I shall introduce myself to royalty. I am a member of Organization Thirteen: Number Eleven, Marluxia, the Graceful Assassin… whichever name you prefer."

Riku had glanced her way curiously at the title 'Princess of Heart' but turned back to the Nobody, refusing to be diverted. He hadn't met this man before and needed to find out as much as possible about him in order to fight effectively.

"What do you want, Marluxia?"

"My question exactly for you." The man smirked ever so slightly. "Could you possibly be harboring a desire for inner peace? Refuge from the encroaching Darkness?"

Riku's short fingernails bit into his palms and his teeth were clenched so tightly he felt they might crack any second.

"Or perhaps you seek the comfort of a woman since your own love was taken from you by your best friend—"

"Shut up!" Riku yelled, charging recklessly forward as blood-red anger clouded his mind. It was more the accusation of pursuing Kida than the memory of Kairi's choice that maddened him. Soul Eater was immediately in his hand, its appearance alone endangering the king.

Then Dusks swept in from every direction. Riku felt their sharp, spear-like hands thrust him down and the sheer number of them piling on top forced him to give up. The Keyblade vanished against his will.

Marluxia ignored the teenager and turned his attention to Kida. "If you wish to know what I seek, Princess, I will answer. My minions tell me a great amount of power is stored here and I refuse to leave without it."

The king spoke to the man, "It is no power that can be used by your kind, Empty Half."

"You underestimate my abilities. Take me to the source and I will prove you wrong. Or would you rather I killed the beautiful young woman here?"

The man's vacant eyes widened with fear. "My daughter is all I have!"

"And very soon you will have nothing unless you show me the way to the source." To punctuate the threat, the robed man held up his hand and a wicked scythe appeared amidst a rain of rose petals. "I would prefer this task to remain bloodless, but I am losing my patience. I will not ask again."

The king sat up straighter on his throne, refusing to say a single word. Marluxia gave a discontented sigh.

"Regrettable."

His scythe moved so smoothly that Riku didn't even see the strike until it was over. The king fell forward, his chest bloodied. Kida shrieked and tried to run forward, but three more Dusks appeared and fastened themselves to her with their swaying yet strong arms.

"He's not dead yet. I cut just deep enough that poor Riku here will be forced to sit beside a dying man without being able to help the fool or his daughter until it is too late. Now, to find the source…"

Marluxia strode over to Kida and disappeared with her in an oval of shadow. The Dusks half-slithered, half-flew in all directions, leaving the two humans alone in the throne room. Riku ran to the king and saw that the Organization member was right: he was alive, but the cut was too deep to treat without Healing abilities.

Riku slammed his fist into the nearest solid object simply to strike something. He couldn't help the king or the princess and he had a very strong feeling that although he personally hadn't attacked the king, this was still his fault.

"I'm such an idiot…"

The king groped for Riku's shoulder and held it. "The Heart of Atlantis is what he seeks, but although he may be able to leash it for a short time, no one can control it for long. Not even those of royal blood."

"What can I do?"

"There are several passages hidden throughout the city that lead to the secret chamber, but the shortest is here in this throne room. You must follow it to defend Atlantis and save my daughter, stranger. Kida is the key… If only she can speak to the Heart—"

Here he coughed uncontrollably, blood beginning to leak from the corner of his mouth.

"How can she speak to it?"

"We give it our emotions and experiences…in return it gives us long life and protection. Unless she calls to it, the crystal will not listen. Our world will be at the mercy of that man."

"I still don't fully understand."

"You do not need to. Simply seek the center here and the path will open. Protect her…" His eyes, already far-seeing, took on a new deeper gaze beyond the present.

Riku's eyes closed and he concentrated on finding a solution. The only asset he had was his Keyblade, but Soul Eater could do nothing here.

Wait… He also had Heaven's Zephyr…but he had no idea what it could do. Despite his doubts, he was desperate. He pulled the miniature pair of wings out and attached the keychain to his Keyblade. After a momentary flash he saw that the new form of his weapon was indeed heavenly, the exact opposite of Soul Eater. One long, white wing formed the blade and delicate, curled metal the same violet shade as Eiko's hair made up the hilt.

Riku also realized instantly that this was the very thing he needed. Somehow Eiko had locked some of her abilities_ inside_ it. Laying the blade across the king's wound, he concentrated on healing.

There was no prestige or glamorous display as there had been when Eiko attempted to heal him back on Gaia. Instead he felt only warmth. It stemmed from inside himself rather than his weapon and then traveled down into the injured man. Before his eyes, the skin knitted back together seamlessly and the blood stopped flowing.

The king took many deep breaths which reassured Riku, but despite his attempts the man did not wake. Very likely he needed rest to fully recover…if the Healing was enough.

Shaking off the concern he felt for the helpless monarch, he began to look for the "center" which was the only clue he had to find the place Marluxia sought.

It didn't take him long to locate the passage, though he had to use his eyes. One of the stones to cross the pond was oddly sunken beneath the surface and he made his way to it through the shallow water. The moment Riku stood on top it began to descend into the ground.

He waited while the small platform dropped slowly. Water from the pond, now above, poured around him for a few moments before ceasing.

The cavern hidden below the underground city was large with a lake in the center. Above the water, stones carved with the faces of previous rulers floated peacefully around a burning glow. The only features recognizable were the eyes since they reflected the light they circled.

Riku felt this hovering light was the crystal that formed the first Keyblade. Almost instinctively he drew it. The response was immediate: a thin beam of blue light fastened on the wingéd weapon, seeming in a way to test it.

The youth felt ice sweep over him for an instant and he knew suddenly that he was in the chamber belonging to the Heart of Atlantis.

**You know, it's funny but I started noticing the gradual trend toward shallowness in most Disney movies. Pinocchio and Beauty & the Beast are the deepest stories I've encountered because they address the question of humanity: are we puppets? …or animals? …or monsters? …or mere things? I believe the answer is embedded in an understanding of ourselves as creatures and our ability to choose right instead of wrong rather than basing all decisions on feelings or pleasure.**

**So, to ask as a poll, what Disney movie did you find had a deep message and what was it?**


	8. 4 Floating, Not Falling

**Chapter 4: Floating, Not Falling**

The traveler from Destiny Islands stood transfixed by the light, wondering what sort of history this object had experienced. If the underwater records were to be believed, this very Heart was the one that created the first Keyblade and was there when the worlds were separated. But what had happened to it since then?

His eyes were drawn to the blade. It began to glow, taking on a pale blue sheen that shifted over the metal in an ethereal manner. Nervous of this phenomenon, he detached Heaven's Zephyr from it and Soul Eater's bare form appeared. It did not absorb the light.

Without warning, the beam shining from the stones vanished. The soft blue continued to glow and shift high above the lake as though nothing had disturbed it, and privately he was glad. He shook off the icy feeling coating his skin and looked down at the keychain in his hand. It still seemed to be radiating energy from the Heart.

Slightly disturbed, he replaced it in his cloak and observed the area. He stared at the stone faces overhead. They made him feel as though he was not alone. The rocks making up this wide cavern were steep and the only place available to stand appeared to be the area where Riku stood. He wondered how he was supposed to protect this place, or whether he could do anything at all.

A slippery white figure swam through the air toward him. Riku slashed out and it barely dodged, scampering just out of reach. Other Nobodies appeared seconds later and Riku knew the short edge he'd had by arriving before the others was gone.

"I should have known it would be in the very place we started. How good of you to find it for me," Marluxia's voice dripped with false gratitude as he appeared beside Riku along with Kida.

The pale-haired woman looked grieved, but not hurt. There was a silent question in her eyes about her father but he couldn't say anything aloud. The Nobody might feel it necessary to finish the job.

"At least you didn't harm her."

Marluxia gave an emotionless grin, seeming to lose all pretenses. He waved in a dismissive gesture and all the Nobodies disappeared. "I care little for this one unless she is useful. If she is not, I see no reason to keep her alive. The same goes for you. How convenient letting you live turned out to be. There is still the chance you may aid me in my goals yet, and so I refuse to let your life go to waste. After all, death is one thing that cannot be undone."

Riku growled in the back of his throat, more upset by the haughty attitude of undisguised manipulation. Not only did the Nobody feel he could do it but he considered Riku to be his puppet so thoroughly that it didn't matter if he knew.

"It would have been more convenient still if Namine had not betrayed me in Castle Oblivion, but chances are she would have turned against us all eventually. Especially once she mastered her abilities." The man's face took on a semblance of distaste. "So foolish of a Nobody to feign possessing a conscience. Larxene tried to weed it out of her, but the woman has no tact and Namine was a rather shy creature."

Marluxia was rambling now.

"Is this going anywhere?" Riku asked in an uninterested tone. "Or is the sound of you own voice really that fascinating to you?"

"Can you truly comprehend what power that girl has?" The Nobody did not seem at all put out by the boy's insult. "You've seen what she did to your friend already. He was willing to die for her with never a thought for his beloved Kairi. How do you know she won't turn on you and your king as well? How do you know you're not already being manipulated? All she has to do is plant a memory and you'll accept anything she says. Truth can be whatever she makes it, therefore can we agree that it does not even exist?"

Riku knew his enemy was only trying to set him off-balance, but that didn't mean his words rang false. It could all be true and he would never know it. Reality seemed to bend when Namine affected others. Was he right in some way?

"She is a Nobody, after all, just like myself. Just like Roxas."

The teenager had never heard that name before yet he knew instantly who it was. Marluxia was taunting him again, but why? He tried to take control of their conversation.

"You talk about everything except what is in this chamber with us. Is it possible a Nobody can be afraid of the unknown? After all, who can say what sort of power it really is above us? Even the king didn't know, or at least didn't say."

He had the other's full attention now. Riku was privately glad Kida had kept silent so long. Her arm was no longer in her captor's grasp and he seemed to be ignoring her for the time being, thankfully. Marluxia only gave a snort and looked with more aloofness than ever at his opponent.

"Power is power. The differences lie in the utilization. I am surprised you haven't discovered that yet. What is the difference between Light and Darkness? Is it not merely a matter of perspective? What is terrible to one may be second nature to the other, and is it not true that what is right for one person may not be right for another? The same way that some consider deeds that are crucial for one to survive as 'evil'. How do you view parasites?"

"Where are you going with this? I doubt we're about to sit down and have an enlightening philosophic discussion."

He knew Marluxia was trying to distract him from something, if he could just put his finger on it…

"Perhaps I am simply interested in your view of right and wrong. Do you believe it was wrong for you to desire power, or was it wrong of Sora to take it from you? Or to take _her?_"

Riku said nothing but shifted instantly into his battle stance with Soul Eater poised above him, anger etched across his face.

Then as the two faced each other, one with fury in his eyes and the other with an air of self-satisfied conceit, the interaction touched the cavern's atmosphere which, in turn, affected the light suspended high in the air. It began to glow a discontented red and small beams sought about aimlessly. One fell on the princess beside Marluxia and she stiffened.

Kida's eyes dilated and appeared to absorb the light as she stood illumined by the single ray from the floating Heart. The crystal on its thong around her throat rose into the air as though leading her forward.

"_Matim_…?"

She stepped onto the water as though it were dry land, proceeding slowly to stand beneath the stones. Marluxia's gaze followed her with a measuring look that made Riku uneasy, but he was surprised by this turn of events and Soul Eater vanished in a cloud of darkness. Was this what the king had meant earlier about Kida being special?

The remaining rays searching about came to rest on her in a blaze of brightness. Somehow she was lifted off her feet and the Atlantian princess rose upward, suspended by an outside force. When she was nearly halfway to the Heart, Riku caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye and realized belatedly that his enemy was not content with observing. He gave a warning shout but Kida was beyond communication with others.

In an instant flower petals seemed to be everywhere. They swirled in a dizzying pattern, converging on Kida all at once. At the same time, Marluxia himself teleported directly into the center of the circle of stones where the light waited.

As though the radiance that had called her suddenly forgot all about her, its support failed and the princess fell all the way back down, landing in the water.

Riku wasted no time watching Number Eleven. He dove in immediately to save Kida. It wasn't deep, but falling from such a height could still hurt her. She had not woken from her stupor but instead rested at the bottom of the pool, white hair floating lazily around her face. He grasped her around the middle and used his feet to propel them both upward.

They broke the surface and he struggled to the shore. In his concern for her, he ignored the stones as they whirled overhead around the Nobody. His body had become a mass of darkness that slowly reformed into himself. Marluxia drifted down to the water's surface and Riku looked up in time to see him proceed toward shore, narrowly avoiding the stone faces as they landed in the pool. The power holding them in the air was gone.

As he came closer the teenager noticed that nothing about him seemed different. His black clothing, strangely-colored hair, and facial expression remained exactly as before. It was only when he was nearly to the edge of the water that Riku realized his eyes shone.

They resembled the Atlantean king's in their luminosity, but instead of vast knowledge and wisdom buried in that light there was…nothing. If the Nobody had been emotionless before, then there was no word empty enough to describe his current state.

The tall man in black suddenly focused on Riku and the scythe materialized, swinging it outward without a sound. Daggers of pale red light scattered from the curved weapon and he had to block them with the Keyblade. Not wasting any time, the teenager took a running leap and flipped, slashing down as he passed over his opponent's head.

He was gone!

Straight above him the Nobody floated with not so much as a savage grin. Riku barely had time to widen his eyes before the scythe's long shaft slammed into his stomach and threw him to the ground. He landed hard on his side against the rocks, the wind knocked completely from his chest.

Thinking another blow would come down any second, he braced himself…but the strike never fell. Letting his senses reach outward, he felt as though Marluxia had forgotten both Kida and him although they were helpless at his feet. In his mind's eye, the other appeared to be gazing upward. He could almost feel an emotion beginning to rise from deep inside the man—

Then he vanished.

%*%

Although to Riku he had appeared as emotionless as ever, or even less, the calm exterior disguised massive chaos. The Organization member experienced a thousand lives in the blink of an eye, and as they flooded through him, his own mind began to wash away beneath the attack.

Whereas the princess would have been likened to a sponge soaking in the energy, Marluxia was similar to an empty vessel holding it. The Heart used its bearer's identity to give purpose and direction to its power.

The Graceful Assassin had no heart or identity, therefore everything inside him swirled about in a hurricane of muddled sensations and half-understandings, sweeping away every memory he possessed.

For a fleeting moment as he stood there Marluxia understood what was happening to himself. With every last shred of willpower in his grasp he tried to attack the Keyblade Wielder…only to have control ripped away just when he was about to destroy his enemy.

For the first time he experienced an emotion of his own instead of a Nobody's usual attempt at imitation: despair.

Then he knew nothing more…

%*%

The princess stirred lethargically, waking with difficulty.

"M-my whole body hurts," she choked out, unable to keep the pain from her voice. Marluxia's Blossom Shower attack must have been agonizing, defenseless as she was floating in the air. "What happened? Where is the Heart?"

"Marluxia stopped you from reaching it. He took your place and now it's gone."

"He cannot… It-it is impossible!" The princess tried to stand and fell back. She looked surprised at her own weakness, then brushed it aside to insist, "We must take it from him before he uses it to destroy the city."

Riku helped her stand and allowed her to lean on him as they made their way over to the platform. It began to rise as soon as they stood in the center, and Kida gripped his arm tightly.

"You aren't familiar with these kinds of things?" he asked.

"No, I… Not anymore. They were once common, but that was many years ago and I was—" She cut off as they rose into her father's inner courtyard. Kida looked around with amazement, shocked that the entrance to the chamber had always been so close, then saw the elderly king lying on cushions where Riku left him. Blood stained his clothes.

She screamed and ran over. When she saw the slashed cloak but no wound she was more confused than ever, but looked at the young man walking toward her and seemed to understand.

Rather than explaining, Riku addressed their current crisis. "Is there any way to get the power back from Marluxia?"

Her face went ashen as the plight of her city reoccurred to her. "I…I could not say honestly. If my father were awake he might be able to give counsel, but his breaths are so shallow that I am afraid to stir him. It might be his death to bring him out of sleep."

"We'll all die if he isn't stopped, Kida."

Closing her eyes, the princess bowed her head over her father's still form and uttered a soft, "Forgive me." She then removed her dangling crystal and touched it to the bottom sides of his wrists, then to his elbows, shoulders, neck, and either temple. Riku watched, feeling energy stimulate the old man's blood gradually as she moved along the veins. Lastly she touched his heart, but only for the merest instant.

The king coughed as though having been given an electric shock and Kida kept pressure on his chest so that he didn't try to move. His eyes were dim but he seemed to recognize the one over him.

"Father, tell me… Can I take back the power of the Heart once it has been stolen? I must know _now_."

He breathed raggedly, his hands shaking as he tried to touch her fingers. His lips moved and she bent close to his mouth to catch the words. "Call…and it will come… Love is the key…to return… I heard of it…once… If you find the heart's Light…call it…it will come…but only if you give yours… It will come…"

The strength she'd lent him sapped away and he fell into a deeper sleep than before. Hoping desperately that she had not caused his death by pulling him from his recovering rest, she stood and turned to Riku.

"If I call, it will come."

"Seems simple enough, but I'm sure we have to get close. I hope we'll be able to find him. He can teleport almost anywhere and I wouldn't be surprised if he plans on leaving soon."

The doors behind them burst open as a young citizen of the city came flying in. "The ruler! Our ancient king has returned to us!"

"_Who?_" Riku demanded.

The boy stopped short at first sight of the stranger, then continued in a less sure voice, "A man in a black cloak appeared in a blaze of rose petals. He called himself Sirikahn and pledged to protect his people. _King Sirikahn_ has come back to us from beyond the grave."

**Seriously, I feel like I'm talking to myself! I know people are reading, but only my loyal online friends are reviewing. But for my traffic alerts I'd think nobody was looking at this fic at all! Well, since I can do nothing but mope and moan about that, on with the poll.**

**I've been disappointed in the modern slew of annoying, stereotypical Disney villains (Home on the Range was just horrifying). Which one do you find to be the best in terms of real motivation and acting?**

**My answer: a toss-up between Cinderella's stepmother and Maleficent (funny because they were both voiced by the same lady). Both are realistic combinations of malice, greed, and a touch of vengeance.**


	9. 5 The Ruler of Atlantis

**Chapter 5: The Ruler of Atlantis**

Marluxia appeared elsewhere in the city, in a high place that overlooked the entirety of the ruins of this once-great civilization. He saw none of it…or rather he saw it not with his eyes, but with memories carried by the hurricane raging inside himself. There was a cry of helpless despair while his consciousness shriveled and was hidden away in the recesses of his being. Before another breath entered his lungs, Marluxia was no longer there.

His eyes opened to reveal two glowing orbs which surveyed the world critically. He said no word but sought landmarks instead. There was a trace of familiarity to him in the area, but he could hear the frightened shouts of people nearby.

Descending a set of stairs, he rounded a crumbled building and came in sight of the city dwellers. He caught snatches of their conversation as they whimpered about strange white enemies and tremors from deep in the earth.

He desired to be among those people and suddenly he _was_. Rose petals drifted down around him, and though he did not know how he had transported himself directly to the place he wanted to be, he accepted the phenomenon as though it were expected. Those around him cried out in fear and shrank back.

"Is it one of them?"

"He is not in white."

"But how did he appear?"

"Who is he, then?"

The cloaked man's face was almost gentle as he observed their fright and confusion. He felt as though he'd been away for quite some time, but surely his subjects still remembered him.

"I have returned to you," he called in a voice befitting one of royal blood. "Are you not glad to have your king back?"

They looked at one another in even more perplexity than before.

One of the elderly women stepped forward. "Forgive my failing memory, but if you think we know who you are then you are mistaken. Our king is still alive."

"So, I have been usurped," he said with some amusement. "Surely _one_ among you remembers Sirikahn."

The woman jerked back in surprise. "No, it cannot be… My great-grandmother told me you vanished lifetimes before her birth."

"As you can see," he held his hands out, palms up, "vanishing is not the same as dying. How shall I prove myself? Shall I recite the Primordial Days or communicate with the giant protectors?"

Only true royalty knew the telling of the great epic or how to speak to the stone creatures who guarded Atlantis without waking them. He could give a dozen more examples of his station, but he could see the belief beginning to show in their eyes.

"But what about our king and princess?" a boy asked.

The man with pale rose hair looked down at the child and gave him a kind smile. "Go tell them King Sirikahn has come back to protect his people. I will not take their throne but I will not surrender it either, for it is already my own. If they agree to meet with me perhaps we can come to an understanding. I will wait here for their answer."

More people crowded around, asking questions and insisting it was impossible, though less and less convinced of that every moment as he spoke to them. Meanwhile the boy ran up stairways to reach the palace. Everyone could see the mark of royalty in this man's face and countenance. He appeared to have a just mind, especially after asking to see the king and princess instead of declaring their reign finished.

Soon it seemed as though the entire city had come to see this man who claimed to be their ruler of old. Everyone talked and laughed, all in mixtures of yearning and disbelief. As he defended his station to several people, it came to his notice that part of the crowd was quieting. Sirikahn turned that direction and softly motioned for the people to move aside.

A lane gradually opened allowing two people to make their way to the center of the crowd. By then the conversation all over the plaza and the surrounding area had come to a complete halt. The entire multitude seemed to be holding its breath, unsure how this conflict would unfold.

The former king observed the young woman with a calculating gaze. Her poise spoke of a child trying to act the part of ruler, but with so much freedom behind her composure that it was apparent to him the shackles of palace life had not quite clamped down yet. A coddled adolescent she was.

He only spared one glance for her companion. He wore a black cloak and kept his eyes covered by a bandage of some sort, though he walked as if he had no need of sight. He was short, which meant he probably was not her suitor since it was unseemly for the wife to be taller than the husband. He must be her guard, then.

"So this is my heir," he intoned with pleasure.

The woman looked at him warily and glanced back at the young man behind her. He gave a slight shake of the head as if to convey his uncertainty.

"…Marluxia?" she said hesitantly.

"Sirikahn, child. A king of this city and protector of its people, but also your ancestor. Tell me your name that I may know what your mother thought of you when you were born."

"_You are—!_" the girl began to shout but the one in black grabbed her elbow and she stopped. Looking back at him, she seemed to reconsider her words and faced Sirikahn to say, "My mother's name for me is Kidagakash."

"Ah, how interesting that she would name you 'Silver Wings' and my own name me 'Ivory Feather'. It is an uncanny likeness for so great a gap in our age, is it not? Have you earned your second name yet?"

A touch of crimson crept up her throat and she jerked her head away as though ashamed. The king felt some pity, but was still more amused by the reaction. Coddled indeed.

"Ancestor," she said with some difficulty, "would you be kind enough to follow me to a more secluded place where we may discuss this phenomenon?"

"Gladly," he replied, giving an ancient-style bow.

%*%

Kida could make nothing of this man who had only recently tried to kill her father and now stood looking at her with the fondness of a grandparent. As she led him up the stairs toward a portion of the palace away from the throne room and its resting occupant, she could not help digging through her memories for information on anyone named Sirikahn.

There was the flicker of reminiscence…of her mother telling her tales of the old kings…one by the name of Sirikahn…but what had Matim said of his rule? His was not one of the stone faces in the cavern. She had recognized them all as other men.

"Kidagakash," the man said gently, "I have not come to take your place as ruler. I ask only that you tell me what you know of this city since I fell into slumber. It was once glorious but now lies decayed around us. The people do not seem to notice, which makes me wonder about their lives."

"We have lived in this city for countless centuries. To their minds it has always been this way because they do not notice the gradual change."

"And what of the history before your time?"

"…I cannot tell you. My father has not allowed the telling of ancient stories since I was a girl." Kida hadn't meant to tell him that, but it came out of her mouth before she even realized.

"I see. How unfortunate for you and your people. The identity of a nation is embedded in its past. When I ruled we had celebrations of light and music, all centered around the greatest storytellers."

Riku lengthened his steps until he was walking at her shoulder. The so-called Sirikahn saw their desire for privacy, so politely lagged a short way behind.

"It's not an act. He believes everything he says," the young man said lowly.

"But how can that be? He has the Heart of Atlantis inside him."

"Your father told me the Heart gives everyone here long life and protection, and they give it everything they experience. Emotions, memories… Perhaps one of those memories was stronger than the rest."

They had nearly reached the palace gardens and Kida glanced back at her 'ancestor'. "I know he was not the strongest ruler of our city. Why did the memories of _his_ life become so vivid instead of another's?"

"I don't know."

"What do you plan to do?"

"…Try to remind him of who he really is, I suppose. If his memories of being a Nobody are not entirely gone I may be able to prove he could not be two different people. Do you have a better plan?"

"Perhaps. I have not forgotten my father's words."

They entered through the archway into the garden. Centuries earlier it had been magnificent, full of exotic flowers and intricate mosaics on nearly every wall. Statues and gushing fountains as well as tiled designs along the walkways made this place the pride of each member of the royal family.

Now its mosaics and tiles had been damaged or the colors faded, statues had fallen or crusted over with age, and the fountains that worked spouted slower, no longer gushing. And the plants themselves had adjusted to the underground 'sun', most of the exotics failing entirely or evolving into paler flowers with long stems. Still, the gardeners cared for them well enough that they decorated the place with their vines, which created new archways and bowers. In nearly every corner was a fruit-bearing plant decorated with ribbons to signify who was allowed to eat from it.

Despite the loss of so much of its original beauty, the lovely flowers woven along the maze and its abundance of 'secret places' among the overgrowth created a new sense of splendor and nostalgia that had never been there when all had been properly organized and unsoiled.

While Sirikahn looked about him with interest at the strange garden, the princess took a deep breath, readying herself.

"May—may I greet you properly, Ancestor?"

"By all means, child. I do not mean to give the impression I would have nothing to do with you." He faced her, straightening.

Kida stretched her hands out to either side, leaning forward on one foot and bowing until her hair almost covered her face. The Nobody stood over her, leaning forward on one foot as well, and raising his hands until they hovered on either side of her head. She brought her hands together and clasped his forearms, then he gently touched her cheeks, lifting her head upward.

Riku watched the short ceremony with interest. She was touching him, but there didn't seem to be any change in either of them. Was the Heart not responding to her? And why?

"I am grateful that you are not so opposed to my presence, Kidagakash. I would like to help you in any way I can."

Apparently Kida had been expecting something to happen as well because her expression was blank. "I-I—"

"Where have you been?" Riku interrupted roughly.

The 'ruler' turned to him and gave a strange look as though not sure whether to answer him. "Slumbering beneath the earth, I assume."

"But before that what do you remember?"

Sirikahn narrowed his eyes. "I am not accustomed to interrogations."

"I am merely searching for the truth."

"_Truth_," the man scoffed. "An ironic philosophy. If I was to say and believe one thing and you another, they would both be contradictory, but 'true'."

Kida remembered Marluxia's words in the underground cavern and wondered at the similarity in beliefs between Sirikahn and him.

"This is my confidant," she said with a gesture. "Your disrespect to him is disrespect to me."

Suddenly his demeanor changed. His shoulders relaxed visibly and the cold gaze that had been measuring Riku's worth became accepting. "Ah, that explains much. Very well. In answer to your question, I recall ruling the city alongside my brother and his wife."

"When did that change?"

"I do not remember. I ruled, and then I opened my eyes in this stricken city."

Riku paused, seeming to consider his next words carefully. "Do you remember the Organization?"

"It does sound familiar. What is it?"

"At this point even I don't know. Do you know the name Lexaeus? Vexen? Zexion?"

At the mention of those names, Sirikahn's brow furrowed as though he had some idea of who the people were but did not want to think about them.

"Heartless?"

True recognition flickered in those eyes and the 'ruler' seemed to consider this more seriously than the odd names. "I do know of these creatures from murals, but we call them Dark-Halves. Yet…why do I know them by the title you use? I have never seen one save in the paintings, but somehow I know I have dispatched many."

"Did you wield a scythe?"

"Royalty only use long blades," he said haughtily, but there was something unsure in the words.

"Your name is Marluxia."

The Heart of Atlantis pulsed with confusion as both memories of Marluxia and Sirikahn conflicted, overlapping and contradicting each other. He knew he could not be both, yet he had memories of each. Which was he?

Suddenly Kida gasped as a memory occurred to her. She stepped forward, her voice strong. "You earned your third name shortly after your disappearance, Ancestor. You were called Fallarilne, the Kin-Slayer."

For an instant the Nobody looked at her with no change in expression, but then memories seemed to flash behind his eyes and undisguised shock covered his face. A cry like that of an animal mortally wounded burst from his mouth. "Alleiwyn!"

The Heart could not keep this painful memory suppressed and let out energy in bursts that broke over everyone in the vicinity like ocean waves. They were all pulled into it, unable to resist…

%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Light began to dwindle as the sun dipped toward the horizon, growing a shade of red like bloodgold. The garden was filled with its pristine statues and fountains but especially the myriad of plants decorating the area with not only their unique flowers but their assorted scents as well.

There in a secluded corner were two people, one of them sitting on a bench next to a lone pillar. The man finished speaking to the beautiful young woman and she began to cry. He sat on the bench beside her and she leaned against his shoulder as tears slid down her face.

"I suspected he was hiding something, but I never expected this…"

"Alleiwyn, he is a wretch," he said, "but not all men are." Suddenly he kissed her deeply, but she forced him away with such zeal that they fell off the bench.

"Stay away!" she cried out, scrambling back.

"What? Do you think this inappropriate after what he has done to you?"

"Even if I could use revenge as an excuse, it would not make my actions less wrong. I am married, Sirikahn."

He threw himself up from the ground. "Do you refuse me because he is my brother? You still cling to him even though he is faithless while _my_ love has continued to rage unabated since before your union?"

The question seemed to confuse her, as if the answer was never debatable. "Of course. When we married I chose him and he chose me. I cannot control his actions, but I will not allow his deeds to affect my behavior as his wife. If I do as he has, it would not heal the anguish eating away at my heart now."

The man slammed one fist into the pillar. "Is that it? Is that the only thing to keep us apart? I _can_ help heal this deep injury!"

"But I feel no such love for you. How can you demand that we be together when my feelings and especially my principles have never crossed your mind? You are my _brother_, nothing more." She seemed to dismiss his confession and started past him.

Sirikahn's mind froze with the magnitude of his hopes and yearnings as they were dashed to pieces. His expression turned dark as the blistering torment inside his chest began to overflow. All he felt was pain and all he wanted to do was make her know how he felt. If he could reject her the way she rejected him, surely she would understand.

No, she would _never_ understand. Alleiwyn only loved that disloyal fool for nostalgia's sake, not because he deserved it.

An overwhelming rage blinded him completely. He reached toward her, hardly knowing what he was doing and saying anything that came to his mind.

"You never loved me! I slaved every day to win your affection but he always held the first place in your heart even though you were _never_ in his. His sons should have been _mine_. Everything would have been better—can you not understand that?"

A gurgling noise reached his ears and Sirikahn cleared the blindness from his vision with difficulty. He found himself holding Alleiwyn against a pillar by the throat, her feet dangling above the ground.

He released her instantly, but she fell to the earth without any resistance as if she were unconscious.

"Alleiwyn?" he sought tentatively, touching her shoulder. He turned her face upward and that was when he saw in the fading sunlight the ugly marks he'd made on her neck. They were deep. "Dearest! No, no! This did not happen! Why? Why did you not simply _love me?_"

The ruler was running before he even knew it. There was a _shenwei _just outside the garden and he activated it, leaping on and speeding to the sky without making the proper signals. Another _shenwei_ with a guard riding on its shark's back narrowly avoided him, but he ignored the man's concerned call.

He soared out over the ocean, as far as he could go in an hour. The stars barely gave any light, but he paid them no attention. All he could see was her face bathed in the light of the setting sun, appearing to wash the entire garden in blood. He could not have done it… He _did_ _not_ do it. He never would have hurt her!

He was flying too close to the waves but that fact hardly occurred to the tormented man even as they splashed at his heels. One hand gripped the crystal on a thong around his neck. With a quick jerk he tore it off and threw it into the sea. As it sank, the _shenwei_ lost power but Sirikahn spread his arms wide as though welcoming the punishment. He could not imagine living without his Alleiwyn and blamed his brother for this tragedy.

"_It is not my fault!_" he shouted one final time before impacting the waves with such force that he didn't feel a thing as he died.

%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Riku and Kida staggered back as the vision left them with such abruptness. Nearby the Nobody stood almost limply, staring at nothing, but suddenly he seemed to come back to himself. His eyes fell on the Atlantean and islander.

"I would rather have been Sirikahn," Marluxia growled. The scythe appeared in his hand and he darted toward them with a crazed look and deadly intent.

**The idea for the Heart's effect on Nobodies was actually inspired by Mako poisoning. Contradictory experiences can either make a person go crazy or face the truth about their past. There's not really a plausible 'accept and forget' phase.**

**As for the poll, how many of you guys are fed up with that really annoying tendency of the new Disney writers to take a movie that was actually halfway decent and make a sequel? I've got to say I can't keep the main girls straight from Jungle Book II, Little Mermaid II, and Peter Pan II. They all practically had the exact same personality. Which (of all of them, not just these) was the worst?**

_**My answer: Little Mermaid II – To be honest, all those problems she seemed to be having were beyond stupid, plus the movie practically encourages little girls to run away from home to 'find themselves'. And Ariel was stupid too for hiding something the entire city would have been aware of. And if Triton's magic staff really controlled sea-critters, why the heck didn't he use it to get rid of Ursula's clone? Just one dumb plot hole after another…**_


	10. 6 Dawning Truth

**Chapter 6: Dawning Truth**

Riku shoved Kida left and he dove right, rolling to the side and summoning the Keyblade in a flash. Soul Eater glinted darkly and he brought it up in time to deflect the scythe's blade just before it would have gutted him.

Marluxia pulled it back and prepared to attack again, but in mid-swing he seemed to lose concentration and his grip on the weapon shifted. He held it differently, almost awkwardly, though he tried not to show it. As he attacked the young man again, it was obvious he was not using it properly and had no clue how it should be handled.

Riku expertly thrust him back and stood ready, black cloak flapping in the wind as he waited to see what the other would do next. In an instant, Marluxia shook off the uneasiness and retaliated with a quick Deathscythe attack.

Several flashes of deadly light streaked toward him. Only Riku's honed reflexes allowed him to judge rightly the direction and power of the assault so that he could avoid it. Even so, the very tail of one caught his leg as he lunged out of the way, slowing him down.

The scythe swept out, but Riku was no longer in that spot. Ignoring the pain from his lower limb, he ducked beneath his enemy's guard and stabbed out as he shot past, feeling the blade meet flesh.

Then ahead of him three whirlwinds rose up from the earth, but he was going too fast to avoid them. One caught him and the other two combined to keep his body paralyzed there in the air. His injured leg prevented any escape. The petals spiraling around him from the wind felt like miniature razors and the magic keeping him from breaking away stretched his spine back painfully. He forced his senses to broaden with difficulty and knew Marluxia was floating over him with a sardonic smile on his face. The scythe was raised high and then swung down with all its force.

Riku barely managed to twist inward as the point swept down toward his throat. Despite his sudden jerk, white-hot pain burned his shoulder and he let out a half-yell. The Flower Storm vanished instantly and he found himself slammed to the ground, but forced himself up, calling the Keyblade to his hand.

All at once, Marluxia appeared to lose focus and grasped his weapon awkwardly again.

"What is this?" he asked with confusion.

Riku used this momentary diversion to slip behind one of the maze walls. Kida was there and dragged him along paths too puzzling for him to remember in his dazed and injured state.

"It is Sirikahn," she said in a low voice as they ran. "I could see his expression change as he fought you. There is still a disjointed connection that draws and ebbs, but he cannot control it."

"I understand," he agreed, breathing hard. "That's the only edge we seem to have at this point, but it's unpredictable. There's no relying on it."

They stopped their wild dash and listened. An explosion broke the silence and bits of rubble rained down on them.

"A creature of the Darkness can't hide for long and I will not wait here forever. Think of the innocent people down there just waiting to be slaughtered. How long do you think you can run with those wounds?"

Kida turned to him with wide eyes. "My people… He _cannot_ mean it."

"He will. Nobodies have no remorse."

"Then we must overcome him here before he goes elsewhere." She seized his arm and held him still, shaking her head vigorously. "No, no… This is too fast. We must stop and think. We have to know why Marluxia's mind was taken over by _Sirikahn_ in the first place. Somehow I know that is the key to defeating him."

The teenager considered this and realized immediately that she was correct. From what he had seen from the encounter with the Atlanteans, Sirikahn had been a strong and caring leader but in truth he had been a weak person. It was also obvious from their initial meeting which ended in the king's terrible injury that Marluxia was arrogant and selfish, but had he been that way as a human?

"That's it," he said in an excited whisper. "He is the one whose life most mirrored Marluxia's _before_ he became a Nobody. I'm almost positive."

This new information made Kida's mind whirl. She tried to recall her father's words. He kept saying, "call it and it will come"…but what was 'it'? Not the Heart, for she had already tried that and not succeeded. So what did she need to call?

The answer came as if someone had whispered it in her ear. Its simplicity nearly astounded her…but how was she to go about it? She needed some sort of power to reach into the cosmos, but without the Heart it would be impossible.

"I know what to do," she said in a soft voice. Riku's face showed some skepticism and she grew fairly bashful. "I _think_ I know, that is. I need to send a call into the sea of worlds. The Heart is the only source of energy I can use, but I cannot take it from him."

Riku reached into his cloak, pulling out the keychain for Heaven's Zephyr. She accepted it curiously. "Try this. It absorbed some of the Heart's light in the cavern before Marluxia took you there."

"What about him?" she wondered, flinching as she heard the Nobody's weapon decimate another wall of the maze in his search for them.

"I may be able to give you some time. I'll try to confront him, but he might catch on. If you do succeed with your plan, come find us. If not, get the people to safety."

He disappeared and Kida looked after him in surprise. Even though he was wounded in both arm and leg, this stranger from another world was using himself as bait while she attempted to find something she couldn't even be sure was there at all. Quite a gamble on both their parts.

The princess sighed as she closed her eyes and recalled the words her mother had said so long ago:

_Heart-calling. That is the only way we have to contact someone far away. It can help you connect to another's mind and communicate, but if you use it to __summon__ them to you, to pull them through space itself…part of you will become attached to them. Do you understand why it is dangerous, Kida?_

"Yes, _Matim_. I must be willing to give up myself. But I should only need to see and speak to this one. There is no reason to sacrifice any part of me."

The key to this art was desperation. An idle desire yielded nothing. Her true need invoked the Heart-calling so seamlessly that it was as if Heaven's Zephyr had given her its wings.

She became aware of movement though there was no acceleration. Kida simply _moved_. She passed by hundreds of worlds in the blink of an eye, then she fell through the atmosphere of one and went hurtling down toward the earth. There were many creatures inhabiting the world, but her awareness only focused on a single one.

Hopefully this one would have the critical answers she sought.

%*%

Both of them were injured.

There was a wound from Riku's last attack bleeding freely on Marluxia's chest, and although it should have been crippling, he wielded his scythe as if it did not cause him any pain. Marluxia could see the deep gash through the rip in Riku's cloak, but the boy paid it no attention whatsoever and moved as though it was not even there.

"Do you really believe you can stop us? Why don't you simply join us? You have the same goals and Darkness has its hold on your soul more deeply than you admit. I will even help you defeat Xemnas, our superior. I would be satisfied with mere existence while he wishes to destroy the worlds to achieve his objective. Which of us would you rather have in control?"

Rather than answer, the islander raised Soul Eater and aimed it at the man opposite. Strength from deep within enveloped his body and in a sudden cloud of shadows his clothing had changed to reflect his Dark personality. He gave a sneering smile that betrayed no mirth; only a desire for sadistic revenge.

The scythe slashed, sending waves of energy toward him and Riku jumped, easily avoiding them. He used the height to dive at Marluxia with Dark Break.

The strike sent the Nobody stumbling back, but he released his scythe in a wide sweep that would have split any enemy in half. With the exception of his current enemy, that is.

Riku met the blade, bringing it to a sudden halt, and the faint outline of Darkness began to glow along his skin as he gathered all his energy.

There was no warning. One second Riku was standing bracing weapon against weapon, the next he had sped past Marluxia in a streak of dark light, ripping back again from the opposite direction. Again and again and again the man tried to defend himself, but his enemy was too quick.

Each time, he made an attempt at protecting himself, but the attacks came from every angle within seconds of one another. He fell to the ground, scythe clattering against the broken cobblestones. The boy had defeated him…unless…

Riku's Dark form faded and he breathed hard from the exertion. Marluxia laid a few yards away, cloak shredded in places and blood seeping freely from the numerous wounds. The young man gave a sigh of relief and straightened, but tensed almost immediately as a single rose petal drifted lazily in front of him. His eyes darted back to the Nobody, but there was still no movement from the defeated man. Was it a natural petal from the garden around them?

Less than a moment later there was no doubt where it came from. The Graceful Assassin had _vanished_. Riku jerked his head about trying to see where he could have gone, but there was no sign.

Suddenly a slicing pain ripped up his back and a millisecond later Marluxia's scythe slashed from the left, cutting deep into his shoulder. He tried to deflect the invisible blows with Soul Eater, but he didn't know where his enemy was until after the strike. Five more blows inflicted deep injuries, but Riku could see nothing more than the slight glint of the blade. There was a lull in the assault and he collapsed, unable to run or even lift the Keyblade in defense.

The sky above seemed to fill with rose petals, spinning in a dizzying pattern, all in preparation for one final attack. Marluxia solidified across the clearing. He raised one hand, calling every scrap of energy to himself. The spinning storm of flowers funneled downward as he sped toward this creature of half-light and half-darkness, intent on killing.

"Marluxia!"

Kida ran forward, leaping to place herself between the Nobody and his prey. Her hair fanned out around her like a silver veil and she threw her arms wide, no fear in her eyes as she stood in the direct path of his ultimate attack.

For an instant Marluxia's eyes filled with the memories of two people: Sirikahn's and his own. He banked impossibly hard!

The tornado of pink flowers exploded. Each petal was ripped to shreds with the sudden abandonment of the attack and he himself put all his effort into holding everything back. His weapon melted into nothing just before he slammed uncontrollably into Kida. They rolled to a stop a short distance away and he lay still on the ground, battered, cut, broken, bleeding…but breathing.

The princess detangled herself from him and left his line of sight. His neck refused to turn and he could see nothing but what was directly above him: the underground 'sky' full of harmless minced flowers, drifting down like ash after a volcano's eruption.

A minute or two later she returned to stand over him, saying nothing. Her face held no hatred. It was unreadable to him.

"I… I put everything into…that attack…" he gasped out with difficulty. "Why…am I not…fading?"

"I did not allow you to complete it," she said with a hint of relief, though he could not guess why she would be happy about his survival. "Riku will live, and so will you."

Marluxia gave a disgruntled noise deep in his throat but no words passed his lips.

"I understand you now… You took the name 'Graceful Assassin' for a reason. You loved her, did you not? The same way Sirikahn loved his brother's wife. That woman hurt you so badly that you killed her."

He gazed through her with pain written all over his face, but whether that was from his physical wounds or her words, she could not say.

"You ran from the anguish and the memories, but you did not commit suicide. You were afraid of dying and afraid of facing the truth, so you tried to numb it in many different ways. But none of them lasted very long before the guilt was back worse than ever."

Now she could tell he was listening. His breaths came quick, his hands clenching and unclenching as though he wanted to reach up and grab her by the throat to keep the narrative from continuing. But he had no strength.

"You searched everywhere, until finally you asked the wrong person if it was possible to eradicate emotions from a human. Vexen told you it was as simple as walking into a room."

"Shut up…" he coughed out. "Shut up!"

"But there were Heartless in that room," she continued as if he hadn't spoken, but her tone was not insensitive. "Even though you fought desperately they stole your heart, leaving behind the husk of a Nobody. You had lost all feelings through that and proven yourself strong enough to join the Organization."

Now she lowered herself until she was kneeling beside him. Strands of her bleach-white hair trailed along the ground but all her attention was on him. His rose-colored eyes burned with an anger a Nobody should not have possessed.

"But the memories still haunt you. Being a Nobody is no longer good enough. It has stopped easing the torment, just as all the other attempts failed. You want to forget everything about her now, not simply deaden the emotions."

"How do you know that?" he demanded in one breath, then had to cough and breathe deeply for a short time before he could say more. "…How do you know _everything?_"

"I cannot tell you yet. But I do not need magic to see you have been running all this time and cannot run any longer."

"How can you be so sure?" Marluxia shot back with a snarl.

"I have a story to show you."

She held up a winged keychain and cupped her hands around it, then it glowed briefly with the Heart's light. The world around them washed away in a flood of brilliant silver. In less than an instant it was gone, replaced by a vivid wood.

Marluxia could not see Kida. In fact, he could not see himself. His mind seemed to be inside the head of a child so that he experienced the boy's experiences and felt what he felt. Even now he could sense himself fading into the story…

%*%*%*%*%*%*%

The child was collecting stones by himself, tossing them at a target and laughing as he missed. He was a fair way from his home, but there was no danger.

The wind howled eerily in the distance, sounding like wolves as it echoed through a stony ravine nearby. Looking around nervously, the boy wondered if perhaps there _was_ some danger lurking about. He did not want to admit it to himself, but perhaps it would be best if he started home.

At first he walked slowly, but there was a crack behind him and he jumped. Instead of looking back, he began to go on more briskly. Again there was a snap and he jolted into a jog, his eyes going wide and heart beating faster.

Several more cracks in succession convinced him that something was following. He ran as fast as he could, darting between trees and stumbling over rocks, but not once looking back. If he did, what would he see? A bear? A monster?

The great lumbering noises were directly behind him and he could almost feel its hot breath on his neck! His home was too far away and he could not cry for help without losing breath he desperately needed to keep running. But his legs were tiring and he was slowing down. Any moment now it would seize him in its teeth.

_I am going to die!_

The boy had no strength left, but he clenched his jaw and dove at a broken branch on the ground. He could not escape, but he would face this beast _head-on_. Turning with a savage cry, he raised the branch and prepared to attack the—

…

Nothing. The forest was empty but for himself. He dropped his weapon and gazed about with disbelief. Had it really happened?

%*%*%*%*%*%*%

"Marluxia. Do you understand this story?"

The Nobody blinked and the vision faded back into the small, broken clearing at the center of the ancient garden. The remaining rose petal shreds were still falling. He tried not to show how the story had affected him. The child's fear had infected him during the dash so that even now he could not be sure there had been nothing following.

"I suppose this tale of yours is to show me that my guilt is nothing but a fantasy," he said drily, attempting to belittle it all.

"That is the last thing I would try to convince you." She leaned closer until her eyes, brimming with sincerity, were all he could see. "_He ran._ He ran and ran until he could go no farther. Safety was too far away and it was impossible to escape. That is when he turned to face his fear. Stop fleeing something you have never tried to confront. Then perhaps you will see its true nature."

"I have. I _know_ what I did. I've _never_ denied it."

The princess of Atlantis still knelt at his side. "Not denying the truth does not mean you faced it. It is impossible to live without guilt even if you lose your emotions, as you have proven. You never stopped regretting your act." She took Marluxia's hand even though he tried to snatch it away, but she held tight and refused to let go. "Stop burying the truth."

For the first time since he could ever remember, Marluxia stopped hiding behind the illusion that he was a victim. He stopped pretending he wasn't suffering. He stopped masking the memories and trying to rewrite them to conceal his remorse. Even with his emotions caged, he could still experience despair…and longing.

"Do you want to be healed?" Kida whispered.

"…Yes…but how?" His voice had gone listless.

"If I call, it will come."

"What will?"

For the space of a breath it seemed as though she would not say. But then her gray-blue eyes softened with empathy and she knew it would not be kind to keep the truth from him. So she answered tenderly:

"Your Heartless."

**So glad you made it to the end…and now I shall leave you with this nasty cliffhanger! But to be honest and serious, this conversation (where Kida basically tells him he's a coward who won't fess up to his past) is based on my own experience. It wasn't until my fiance cornered me and forced me to listen that I started turning my life around. I hope it didn't seem too out of the ordinary for a princess and a Nobody.**

**Hmm… I just remembered a very strange question I asked my reviewers a couple years ago and now I wonder if anyone would have an interesting answer:**

**What would you do if your hotdog suddenly jumped out of its bun and started singing?**


	11. 7 Ministering the Cure

**Chapter 7: Ministering the Cure**

Shock struck the Graceful Assassin mute and for some time he could say nothing. But even as the paralysis faded, a secret desire to be whole sparked deep inside. It was not the same goal as the Organization's which was stealing a heart in order to gain dominion over its power…but rather subjecting himself to the one that belonged to him. The one that was made for him.

Yet there was still something wrong. Simply "following his heart" and relying on his emotions to guide him was the reason he started down that path. But giving up emotions entirely led to becoming a Nobody. There must be a way to know which emotions were right and which would lead to ruin.

_I want to enjoy my life again._ With that thought, Marluxia realized more than ever how much he truly longed to have real feelings back.

He struggled to sit up so that he could look into Kida's face levelly. "I am ready."

%*%

A Heartless staggered among its brethren. The insatiable hunger for hearts made it groan inside though no sound came from its mouth. It slunk from one place to another, consumed by a need to feed on others. All intelligence had been drained from its being until nothing but emotion—_twisted_ emotion—remained.

Just as all warped things wish to make other things warped like themselves, this Heartless prowled about, searching mindlessly for something to consume. It fed only on hearts, and as it wobbled and jerked along its haphazard path, it sensed a voice calling it.

If it had a mind it might have been able to say this voice had spoken to it before, not very long ago. But it did not and the experience was as new as if it had never happened. And then through the Heart-calling was a summons. It tugged and pulled, begging. Now the Heartless could feel a heart so pure that no Darkness tainted the person.

It recoiled. Those with no Darkness could not be taken and twisted. They might even destroy _it_.

Self-preservation was seldom a thought that crossed any Heartless's mind, but being confronted with this pure light made it cringe in absolute terror. It tried to scamper away into the shadows, but the Heart-calling followed it relentlessly. This incessant plea held a promise…but the Heartless melted into the earth and tried to crawl away. It was too afraid.

The command increased tenfold, beyond what even an irrational creature could bear.

A high-pitched squeal went up from the Heartless before it was wrenched through a split in the air. Unable to resist, the Heart-calling carried it faster than light could travel all the way to Atlantis.

%*%

Kida's hands reached out and grasped the unsteady creature as it appeared to fade into existence in front of them. It struggled, but was no match for her as a Princess of Heart.

An instinctive fear filled Marluxia's chest and he made an attempt to get away. Kida didn't stop him. She merely watched as he tried to scramble up, but was unable to due to his wounds and weakness.

The terrified Heartless stared with its blank, yellow eyes while its Nobody stared back at it.

"Wait," Marluxia cried. "I am an empty vessel and this creature is the Darkness in my heart…but where is the Light? If we can unite, will I be the person I was before or will this destroy me?"

"I cannot tell you. I do not know myself. Do you truly want to stay this way?"

His reply was almost too soft to hear: "No…"

"Then you will not."

The woman held out his Heartless, waiting for him to make the choice. Immediately he reached toward it, and the instant he touched the creature, it dissolved. Dark smoke faded into his skin. There was an explosion of light mottled with shadow.

The Heart of Atlantis responded to this new element in an unexpected way: it brought the truth of his Darkness forward, laying it bare before the princess and Nobody…

%*%*%*%*%*%*%

"Will you wait for me?" Igraine asked, begging with her soft gray eyes as Rauliam held her hands.

She was wearing a wedding dress, long and slim, decorated with intricate beading and pearls. Several strands of her black hair had loosened from the braids underneath her veil, but she ignored them as her fingers tightened on his. Sounds of the gathering celebration nearby seemed to intrude upon them.

The small place behind the church was only a shelter for so long, and this was the last time they would ever face one another as secret sweethearts.

"I wish I could do something…" he murmured, the pain in his voice all too audible.

She fell into his arms with heart-wrenching sobs. "I hate him! How can I marry that horrible man when I have you here?"

"He's a duke and I'm nothing but a gardener. Your family would never approve if they knew we loved one another."

"We were always meant for each other, Rauliam. Don't you remember the games we played as children? The ones where I left my family and joined you in poverty? I would do it if I could…but I have been so cosseted all my life that I…I feel I would never be able to live an ordinary, simple life. A swan is the most beautiful bird on the water, but on land it waddles about like a duck. That would be me."

"I would never ask you to give up your station. But you are the only one I will ever love. That I swear." He stooped a little to meet her downcast eyes. "But if ever there was a way and you were freed from him, would you consider me?"

More tears slid down her cheeks through the dazzling smile Igraine wore for him. "You are the only one I will ever want. Know that whatever may pass, my heart will always be yours."

Moments later he was alone and the organ began to play the bridal theme.

…

The whole scene melted, growing indistinct as colors shifted and rearranged themselves. Rauliam was the only one that didn't blur, and yet when the world came back into focus there was an unmistakable difference in his age.

The surroundings cleared into a garden in the fading hues of autumn. Leaves littered every pathway between the trees, nearly all of which were crowned with royal golds or many shades of brown. Rauliam spied through the branches of one low-grown oak, its foliage still thick.

There she was dressed in pale green linen, as though she were the only growing thing in the entire garden. Every fold emphasized her gentle figure while links of rubies and garnets with the occasional sapphire lay half-hidden among her waist-length tresses, like secret treasures. A nurse followed her as she nearly danced along the worn tracks, swinging her baby. The child laughed and giggled, then his mother stopped at a pool and pointed to the statue at its center.

"Arthur, you see that? It's your father, the great Pendragon. Someday his banner will be yours and _you_ will be even greater."

They continued to play until the baby grew tired and then he was handed off to the nurse. The older woman gave some obscure advice or warning to her mistress before returning to the castle, humming a lullaby as she went in order to keep the little boy in her arms from waking. Igraine sat on the rim of the pool's stone side, gazing with a wistful look at the distant hills beyond the outer wall of the castle grounds.

The young man in hiding could not have asked for a more perfect opportunity. He made sure there was no one about before stepping into plain sight. "Igraine…"

She spun around with a smile but when she recognized him her face went dark. "_You?_ Why have you come?"

Her disregard for him pierced straight through but he forced himself to answer. "Your husband died a year ago. I was working at your family's estate because I thought you would return…but news came that you married the king almost a week after. Do you not remember our promise?"

Igraine uttered a dismissive sound and waved him off. "We were children. I forgot about you long ago. Leave before any guards catch us together. My husband is the jealous sort and won't think our meeting innocent."

Rauliam stood there hoping for some glimmer of their former relationship to show in her eyes, but she remained so distant and callous that his anger boiled. The years had stripped her of any real feelings, leaving only a desire for wealth and beauty. Being a duke's wife was not good enough, but she had to attract the eye of a _king_.

A collection of gardening tools lay near his feet and he seized the first one that came to hand: a scythe.

Blind rage consumed him. Igraine's eyes went wide as she saw him come at her and she backed away with hands lifted as though trying to ward him away, but he was too quick. The weapon struck a blow to her face and ripped open the flesh in an ugly scar. Her mangled scream tore a new mixture of fear and anger through his mind, and suddenly he wanted nothing but to make her stop screaming!

He slashed again and again at her until she grew silent and no longer writhed on the ground beside the pool. It was a dreadful calm and Rauliam stared at what he had done to her. The light green dress had turned mostly red and the scythe in his hand dripped with the blood of his love.

The nurse's scream from behind jerked him out of his lethargy and without thinking, he ran through the trees in the opposite direction. There were more shouts and an alarm went up. But even as he tried to run faster he was forced to halt when the castle's outer wall blocked his way.

"Where do I go? _Where do I go?_" he cried out.

"Where indeed?" a voice cackled from behind.

He turned to see a very short, very old woman with hair like matted, purple straw and a fiendish expression. It was impossible to say whether she meant harm or good. She hadn't called the guards. But why did she stare at him with such malice?

"I saw you kill the very woman you professed to love. That is the most appalling, heinous, shameful, villainous thing I've ever seen. I must say, I wholeheartedly _approve_."

Rauliam stepped back in confusion. "Who are you?"

"Madam Mim at your service, lad," she croaked with a clownish curtsy.

"At my service?"

"It's seldom I meet people worse than myself, and when I do, I consider it my duty to help them. I can send you away from here, so far they will never find you. The resulting turmoil of your despicable deed will be much more to my liking than all this order and harmony," she said with evident disgust. "The dear king will probably die of grief once he learns of his wife's demise and then the country will fall to anarchy! _Eee hee hee hee!_"

The man ignored her insane laughter and focused on her promise. "You mean you'll save me? I don't owe you anything?"

"Well…" Madam Mim stroked her bulbous chin with one finger. "There is one catch: the only weapon you will ever be able to use is a scythe."

His heart tightened suddenly in his chest at the prospect and he dropped the scythe he hadn't realized he was still carrying, but there came the sounds of men in heavy armor searching through the groves of trees, and his heart constricted even more.

"Take it or leave it," the witch smiled, holding out her hand.

Rauliam looked down, noticing for the first time his blood-spattered arms and front. An instant later he seized the outstretched hand, then the whole world broke into pieces like a kaleidoscope. He shut his eyes and when they opened again he was alone in a strange city.

His clothing was different and there was no blood on him at all, but in his right hand was a long-handled scythe. As he dropped it in surprise, it changed into a stick. This impressed upon him instantly that any weapon he ever tried to use would become a scythe.

The man fell on his face and let out a cry of such pain that people in that vicinity of Radiant Garden wondered who was dying.

%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Kida covered her mouth to contain her distress. She never imagined it had been so _gruesome_. Little wonder he ran from the memory.

Looking up, she saw snow-like bits of scattered light filtering down and disappearing as they touched the grass or cobbles. In the center of it all someone sat arms-length from the princess, his eyes opening slowly like one waking from sleep.

The princess stared at the man whose physique was unchanged; height, build, and coloring all exactly the same as the Nobody's, and yet not the same. All of this person's features had Marluxia in them, but his bearing was completely different.

There was real emotion on his face, and his gaze drifted about the garden as if he'd never seen one before.

All around him she could see the earth drinking in a different sort of light that dripped from his fingertips and faded away immediately. Watching it a few moments, she suddenly realized the Heart of Atlantis was returning to the hollow place deep below the earth. The reunification with his own heart proved he was not a member of the Atlantean royal family and the Heart could no longer remain inside him.

She uttered a heavy sigh of relief and his eyes darted in her direction at the sound. "Is this real?" he wondered.

"Yes…Rauliam," Kida told him in a gentle voice.

Somehow the use of his true name made a difference. It was so much easier not to see him as the Nobody assassin, but rather as a person who had undergone much suffering as well as inflicted it on others, and who was now searching for answers.

Rauliam risked a glance at Riku where he lay a short distance away. "Is he alright?"

"I placed a slumber over him to help with the healing. I will send servants for him once I return to the palace." She continued to kneel beside him while he recovered his strength.

Kida could see the guilt written all over his face and she instinctively wanted to ease the pain he was going through. "What will you do?"

"Ask your forgiveness. I killed your father. I owe you more than I can ever repay."

The Atlantean woman let out a sound that was half-sob, half-laughter. "He is not dead. Riku healed him after you left."

Rauliam's head shot up and for an instant he looked both surprised and relieved, then his expression fell once more and he stared at the broken garden wall. "But…I still attempted to take his life. For that I must ask him to pardon me."

She stared at him briefly before saying, "You should. Come with me."

A short time later they entered the throne room and were surprised to see the king sitting up being tended by several very concerned servants. He waved them aside so that he could see the people who had just entered.

"Ah, so our visitor has finally come to meet me properly. I hope you have not returned to try dispatching me again."

At their looks of uncertainty and confusion, the old white-haired man gave a slight smile and beckoned them forward.

"Forgive me if I appear in good humor. It is not often that one avoids death and then meets the one who nearly accomplished that without fear. But there is no aura of emptiness about you now and I sense sincere regret."

"I come asking your pardon for my deeds."

The king leaned back on his cushions with a sigh. "I am old and I have no time to waste holding a grievance against you. Believe my words when I say you are forgiven."

But Rauliam continued to stare at the floor. "Is it really so simple? Is that all there is to it?"

"Your guilt is natural but do not let it consume you."

"But I've done so many terrible things…both as a Heartless and a Nobody and—and _before_. I can't ask any of my victims for forgiveness because I don't know where they are or if they're still alive. What do I do?" The helplessness on Rauliam's face betrayed his true feelings and he collapsed on his knees at the base of the throne. "There _must_ be a way to make amends. Where do I go?"

Outside, the fading light was turning the world a darker shade of blue. Ghostlike servants came and held up their crystals to spark energy within the lamps in the hall then vanished without so much as the whisper of a garment, and the minutes passed with no answer for the former Nobody.

No one said a word while the atmosphere of the surrounding area darkened to reflect his despair.

At long last the king extended one hand and placed it on Rauliam's head in a comforting, fatherly fashion. "This sorrow you feel is a dangerous thing. It can be good or bad depending on the results upon us. You have undoubtedly suffered from its terrible fruits: anguish, indolence, indignation, jealously, envy, and impatience."

Rauliam remembered the way he reacted both as a human and a Nobody and knew every feeling the old man related had been part of his experience. He gave a nod.

"But there are two good outcomes you must not overlook: penitence and mercy. The first you have already begun to show. The second is closely connected to empathy, and if you should ever encounter another whose deeds bring you grief and they display true remorse, I am sure you will be compassionate."

The man kneeling there gave the smallest flicker of a smile. This was what he needed: someone to show him which emotions were justifiable and which would lead him to despair. And yet…

"But what good is that for me once I have committed the deeds? What do I do with the blood staining my hands? How can I restore a loss that cannot be restored? _Who_ can I express my penitence to? Myself?"

Again there was silence until Rauliam was afraid there may not be an answer to his question. The old king came to a decision and began to speak in a gentle voice.

"There is One to whom all offenses are known and all offenses are made. The dead go to dwell in His land, and now that you are whole you have that chance as well. Stay here, learn from us, and atone."

It was not an answer Rauliam wanted to hear. In fact, it was not much of an answer at all. But the tone in the king's voice told him more: he was not ready to know. And inside those words was a hope that someday perhaps he _would_ be ready. After all, becoming human again was the work of a minute, but the cure for his real illness was a process of learning and understanding.

His head turned so that he could see Kida nearby. She was not looking. Her eyes were closed and a single tear of happiness slid down her cheek across the blue tattoos on her face. Her silvery hair moved a little in a wafting wind and the anklets just above her foot made a soft, musical clinking. He could tell that she was glad he was here.

Yes. He would stay.

%*%

It was still dark when Riku stirred lethargically and tried to rouse. He could feel furs beneath him, but he could not remember anyone carrying him to a bed. Heaven's Zephyr was in his hand. What happened to Marluxia?

A grunt issued from his throat as he tried to get up, then suddenly he sensed a presence approaching. It was Kida.

"Riku, are you awake?" She sounded jubilant and helped him rise to a sitting position. There was hardly any need to probe her emotions as they came bubbling out. "I am glad you are recovering so quickly."

"What happened? I remember Marluxia attacking me, and then nothing."

"That is partly my fault. Your injuries were serious so I cast a deep sleep over you. The servants spent hours carefully healing all your wounds."

"But how did you defeat him?"

"I could not defeat him, and instead I helped him heal. He is no longer half-alive."

Riku drew back and would have stared at her in shock if his eyes had not been covered.

"Do not think badly of me. I used the Heart-calling to bring his Heartless here and he chose to become a single person. His ties to the Darkness have been greatly lessened even if they are not severed. Yet, that is."

He considered this and immediately started planning. "Becoming a human again means he'll be weak for a while. I can take him with me in my ship and leave him anywhere in the universe. He shouldn't be too much of a problem without the powers he had as a Nobody."

"_No_."

Kida's response was so emphatic that Riku stopped short, his brow furrowing. "Why?"

"I…" She sat on the edge of his bed, looking down at her fingers by the glow from the crystal at her breast. If he had seen her expression he would have said was nearly torn with conflicting emotions. "I…I think I may be falling in love with him."

Despite his weakness, Riku managed to pull himself forward and gripped her shoulders so that they faced one another. "This is beyond _idiocy_. What happened? What did you do? Nothing about this is natural."

"The Heart-calling has connected our hearts in a mysterious way, but I am making the conscious choice to have pity on him."

"Pity and love are not the _same_, Kida."

She shook her head. "I do not need to be reminded of the distinction, but that is where it began. I feel he is trustworthy, and if he ever recovers fully then I believe Rauliam would be the perfect man for me to spend my life with."

Riku wondered at this change in them both. It seemed impossible, but then he hadn't exactly been aware of their exchange during Marluxia's revival. Perhaps something in it did merit hope. If there was hope for a Nobody, perhaps the same could be true for himself…

There was something uneasy in Kida's bearing. He asked if she had anything on her mind and she did not reply for some time. "…My father told me why he hid the stones. The truth is that our people tried to fight the Dark Halves…the _Heartless_…but although they decimated the armies, the power of the Crystal was unpredictable. They could not control it and many thousands of our own allies were killed too. When the Heartless continued to spread, they realized they had failed…and the only solution was to divide the peoples. He was so ashamed of our past that he never wanted the young to find out that it was our fault the single world became many."

He said nothing. What _could_ he say?

**Ah, it is complete at last! Maybe it's just me, but coupling Kida with Milo just seems wrong. I never understood that and in a way it gave me the shudders. Next on the agenda: Cold Hands, Warm Heart.**


	12. 1 Without a Guide

**A Collection of Hearts #3: ****Cold Hands, Warm Heart**

**Chapter 1: Without a Guide**

Riku stormed into the mansion at Twilight Town and kicked the nearest chair as hard as he could. It shattered, but relieved none of the boy's anger.

How could it be? Kairi couldn't have _two_ Nobodies. That dark-haired girl had to be an imposter, but it didn't make any sense…

"Breaking things again?" Namine smiled as she entered the room, sandals flapping slightly as she walked.

His shoulders slumped as he gave a deep sigh. A moment later he'd collected himself. "No one was using the chair anyway. How is he?"

The look on her face was discouraging. "No matter what I do, nothing stays. His memories keep seeping out. If we let him wake up now he might never remember who he is or anyone else. We have no choice but to keep him in stasis."

"How? How can this be happening?" he demanded, pacing a little.

"Both DiZ and I are working on it. Did you find anything at the Beast's Castle?"

Riku grunted an affirmative. "The reason the Organization is interested in the Beast is still a mystery, but they have a new member: a girl."

Namine nodded as though only mildly interested.

"…A girl who looks exactly like Kairi."

Her eyes shot up to him and for the first time Riku caught the emotion of surprise emanating from her. "That's not possible. Where did she come from?"

"Don't ask me."

The girl in white appeared completely distracted by this new information and nearly walked away as she puzzled over it, but stopped with a jerk. "Oh, King Mickey came searching for you. He said it was important, so he's been waiting for you upstairs since this morning."

Riku gave a cordial nod and passed her, heading for the stairway. He made his way to the white room full of Namine's drawings. The mouse king was staring at the artwork and gave a smile as his friend came in.

"I'm glad you came back today. I was afraid I'd have to leave without getting a chance to speak to you. How are you, Riku? I haven't seen you since you left for Atlantis nearly two weeks ago. Did you learn anything?"

"Some things. It is possible for Nobodies and their Heartless to reunify, but it's an uncertain process. I don't know that I'd trust it to happen again even under the same circumstances. Also the crystal that forms the Heart of their world is the cause of the rupture that made our universe into many worlds. As for my original questions…not much that's encouraging. But what did you need, Mickey?"

His expression became concerned. "Two girls from Hollow Bastion went missing when the worlds were reformed. Everyone has been searching for them ever since, but there are too many places to search and the pathways have changed, not to mention we're short-handed as it is."

"Do you think I'd be able to find someone I've never met?"

"We need all the help we can get. I know you want to protect Sora right now, but those girls need to get back home. Don't worry, he isn't going anywhere."

Riku knew Mickey was desperate if he was asking him for help. "Give me a description and a list of the worlds they've already explored and I'll see what I can do."

A heartfelt grin broke out on the mouse's face and he began listing the appearances and attributes of the missing girls as well as all the worlds that had been dead-ends. As he finished, he began to look thoughtful.

"Riku, have you heard anything from Gaia lately?"

The young man turned his blindfolded eyes toward the king and shook his head. "I thought it was closed off. Its eidolons guard it well enough to keep the Heartless and even Nobodies out."

"Hmm… Maybe it's just a hoax then."

"What?"

"Well, moogles have been scouring the worlds looking for someone too. Supposedly a girl left Gaia a week ago and hasn't been heard from since. They asked for my help to find her."

Riku ran one hand tiredly down his face and muttered, "I knew she'd find a way to get out."

%*% _1 week earlier in Gaia %*%_

"Are you sure about this?" the dark-haired woman asked her friend.

Eiko stood stiffly in front of her dressed in traveling clothes and with a full pack strapped to her back. They stood at the very top of a cliff between twin waterfalls where the city of Alexandria was situated. Below, mist from the falling water nearly blotted out the dark shape of the Evil Forest far at the bottom, now renamed the Summoner's Forest.

The queen of the city continued to stare at Eiko demanding an answer, almost certain she wouldn't like what she was about to hear.

"Dagger, I _need_ to leave. There are three more summoners now and they can keep things in check while I'm gone."

"But is it really that important that you find him? You didn't even know him for a full day." Dagger threw her arms wide, gesturing wildly as she said, "Do you think you're in love with him? Is that what this is about?"

"No. I don't even know if Riku's my friend or not, so how can I express a 'love and admiration that even the stars cannot separate'?" she asked with an unmistakable eye-roll. "It only has a little to do with him. I guess he's as good an excuse to leave Gaia as any."

"Then what _are_ you doing?"

Eiko plucked idly at a fuzzy seedpod that had gotten stuck to her sleeve. As it floated away on the breeze she answered with a bit of vagueness, "Searching."

It was still strange being in a body that was at least seven years older than she really was, but the longer she occupied it, the less of a gap there seemed to be. Her body had aged, but now her mind seemed to be trying to catch up.

Within that sudden maturity, questions and thoughts she'd never considered almost seemed to fly out of the distance straight into her head. Did other worlds have other truths? Were all the peoples of the worlds connected at one source? If so, why did they look so different? Where did she fit in among them? Was beauty different if a person was on a different world? Was it even possible to live on a world she wasn't from, or would she be drawn inevitably back home? Was there a single place everyone belonged?

There were hundreds more. Somehow, in a strange way, she knew the answers to them were out _there_ among the other worlds. Maybe Riku might even be able to point her in the right direction.

But Dagger, unaware of these mysteries, was flabbergasted. "You're 'searching'? Is that supposed to be some sort of joke? Don't you have any idea how dangerous this is?"

"You should know better than anyone that if you're searching for the right thing, you should be willing to cross the whole globe to find it. Even go to other worlds."

The woman seemed to deflate suddenly. "Yes. We all know that. I just wish you didn't have to go. Are you sure you don't need anything else?"

Eiko looked down at the pouch full of summoning stones tied to her belt, then at the four keychains hooked inside her soft pink vest: Falcon's Claw, Desert Ruby, Memory Earring, and Silver Pendant. They were mementos from the journey with her friends, and as soon as she saw them in Alexandria Castle, it was as if they sensed her need and changed into keychains for her.

"All I need is Atomos. He's the only eidolon that can warp reality and transport things from one place to another."

Dagger held out the Amethyst. Eiko took it and summoned immediately, sparing no further thoughts on the journey she'd already resolved to undertake.

Atomos was gigantic, his pinkish-brown spiny body mostly a mouth stretching up from the misty area below. His maw was nothing but darkness at first, then a flame deep in the back of his throat kindled, growing wider.

"Take me to another world, Atomos!" Eiko shouted over the howling wind that had sprung up.

Lightning crackled and from the eidolon's mouth a spherical mass of swirling red, black, and orange darted toward her. It stopped a hair away from her nose, making the girl jump.

"Don't you _dare_ die," Dagger yelled over the roaring noise. "You can't even use that key of yours."

Eiko laughed as she stepped into the ball of energy. "Don't worry, I have my magic."

A second later her transport was flying toward Atomos's mouth and mere moments after that, she had left Gaia entirely.

%*%

A blight had stricken the trees of this land, making their gnarled shapes into hideous figures that cast unnatural shadows. The earth itself had dried until it cracked except for the occasional hidden bog that did nothing to lift the aridity, and a chill wind streamed past carrying with it the scent of drenched moss and rotting plants.

Eiko Carol stared upward at the clouds whose shifting darkness occasionally lightened into a sickly purple that gave her the impression they were poisonous. The whole area looked just as forbidding in every direction. On one side was a forest of black trees and in the opposite it was more desert-like, though the trees that remained were bleached to a dead pale. Beyond them the land sloped upward and she climbed to get a better look at the surroundings.

Once at the top, the lay of the land came into better focus. The black forest behind turned green not far from its edge, but the area ahead was nothing but jagged cliffs and chasms, lit up every now and then by a flash of lightning that struck close to the ground. Mist filled most of the low places so that it was impossible to tell how deep they went, and a road made of stone wound along between pointed spires of rock.

And there at the end of the road, not very far away, there was a castle of some sort. Everything about it was sinister, but the summoner gave it a cursory glance and marched forward.

"I've fought the Iifa Tree's spirit, Necron himself. And I'll be blown if a stupid castle that looks like it was built by spooks will scare me away from an adventure."

If she had been more experienced, Eiko would have hung back and observed the place and its inhabitants before deciding whether to approach, but she was too excited about being by herself on a different world. She'd been able to defend herself well enough in the other three worlds she'd seen that week and, in a way, now she had an invincible feeling as though by the simple fact that she was not from this place that meant the things in it could not harm her.

She was soon to find otherwise, but not in time.

As the castle loomed closer, it became apparent that it hadn't been used until recently. Most of the original stone was crumbling and thick thorn branches climbed all the way up the towers. The drawbridge had been replaced by newer wood and chains, but very little else was repaired.

A group of ruffians lazing about suddenly grew alert as she came up to the open drawbridge and looked about with a judgmental air. One stood and went over to her, squinting as he took in her foreign appearance.

"I wish to speak to the master of this place," she said in a high, ringing voice.

Two others joined him. They grinned stupidly and nudged one another, jerking their heads at her. She grew serious, not liking their sniggers and feeling there was some joke being made at her expense.

"The ladies usually come in the back door," the foremost man said, "but the King ain't entertained by one even as luscious as you. He don't like 'em."

Eiko drew herself up to her full height (though the top of her head would barely have scraped the man's nose). "I do _not_ entertain. I am a summoner from Gaia on a mission. If your king will not see me then I will not see him, but first I must find out if that is the case."

"Summoner? What's that?" one of the men standing back wondered.

Instead of answering, Eiko pulled out a stone and squeezed it. Instantly there was a flash of light and Carbuncle uncurled herself out of the air. She looked like a floating green fox with a gem on her forehead, and the men scrambled back in surprise.

"We'll tell 'im!"

Feeling she had accomplished what she needed, Eiko nodded to her friend and the eidolon vanished. A short time later a green troll no higher than her knees came up to her, slinking and hopping along rather than walking. With the voice of one who is an expert groveler he asked her to follow him and she did so with the first hesitation she'd felt since appearing in this place.

"Come along," he prodded. "The Horned King does not like to be kept waiting."

They entered the main building and proceeded down several hallways, then as they passed a large room of tables half-filled with drunken men she jerked and stared.

"What sort of dragons are those?"

The two creatures were on a wooden post to which they were also chained. Their birdlike talons clawed at the perch and they had wicked-looking teeth that they snapped together as the men near them feasted on meat. Every few seconds one would raise its snakey neck and flutter its wings as though anxious to fly.

"Dragons? Oh, the gwythaints." He slitted his eyes and asked in a wheedling tone, "Why? Is the lady afraid of the Horned King's pets?"

"It isn't fear," she said hotly. "I've fought dragons before. Much larger and uglier ones. Are we going or do I have to kick you along?"

With a resentful mutter, he ambled on clumsily until they came to a set of stairs. The troll waited for her to go up, and for the second time Eiko felt hesitant. The whole castle had smelled of wet darkness, but now from above there was the unmistakable stench of half-decayed flesh. A coldness crept over her skin, making her shiver and linger there.

"You'll get used to it," her guide said with a push.

Once on the stairs, she felt there was no other choice but to keep going up. Without looking down at the troll, she made her way slowly onward until she stood before a heavy oak door. Knocking politely, she waited for a response.

Something within scraped against the stone floor and then came a low, weighty voice calling, "Enter."

She pushed her way in and stood in darkness. There were no torches, as there had been along all the hallways, but light came from somewhere dim enough to see outlines without clear details. A shrouded figure stood on a raised dais beside a throne, facing away from her. She could make out nothing more except that the smell of death was overpowering here.

"My servant told me you have magic. Is it useful?"

"For me," she said.

"Can you use it to find objects of power?"

"I'm not sure. It depends."

"Depends?" The figure turned slightly and she caught the silhouette of a crown crudely made with antlers. "Do you mean to tell me you can or cannot do this? I do not like obscurity."

His voice had turned slightly dangerous and Eiko felt at once that she had been saying too much. Why had she come here? To find out if Riku was in the area, not promise aid to a man whose very presence made her feel diseased. She had to end this quickly and leave.

"I don't know if I can find what you want. I came here to ask if you had seen or heard of a man who wears a black cloak and comes from another world."

The Horned King said nothing as he slowly sat on the throne. For the first time, Eiko could see his face: a skull with the skin stretched so tightly against the bone that it almost seemed not to have any skin at all, and the few teeth he had were sharpened like an animal's. The girl's breath caught in her throat as she detected a faint reddish glow from his eyes and she couldn't look away.

"He is already here."

A second figure that had been hidden by the throne stepped into view. Eiko wrenched her eyes away from the king's terrible face and gave a cry of joy—

"So, the little summoner finally left home," came a voice nothing like Riku's. "I was hard-pressed to get here before you and set up the trap."

She had only seen him once, but Vexen's sadistic voice and face would be forever etched in her memory. Eiko stumbled backward but the door had closed silently and refused to budge at her efforts. She spun back around and faced the Organization member with eyes hard and cold as ice. One hand shoved into her pouch and she summoned the eidolon of the first stone she touched.

The girl nearly staggered against the wall as a headache pulsed heavily against her temples. She shook it off and felt for another stone, summoning with all her might. Again a crippling headache forced her to abandon the attempt. She found herself on the floor, clutching her head and groaning.

"You are welcome to try as many times as you like," Vexen said with a note of satisfaction. "This world—Prydain, if you did not know—has so many secrets. One of them is a ruined castle far from here called Llyr, and its long-dead inhabitants left many of their old trifles lying about unclaimed. One of them prevents any magic from being used and, as you experienced yourself, its consequences for the attempt can be quite weakening."

"What do you want?" she threw out at him.

"You must help the Horned King find the object he needs. Use your magic to locate the black cauldron and then he will release you."

"I can't." She had no experience with magical items here, of course, but the fact remained that she couldn't let this terrible ruler have what he wanted, no matter the cost. He was no friend of good people, clear enough. Especially if Vexen was on his side.

"Then she is of no further use to me," the king droned, now bored with her.

"Sire, rather than killing her outright will you permit me to use her for my own designs?" the Organization member asked. "If it turns out she is lying, I will find out and you will not have wasted any resources."

The man's evil-looking fingernails scraped against the arm of his throne as he thought this over. "Very well. I will permit you to have two weeks. If, by the end of that time, she has not bent to your will or mine, she shall die. Take her to the dungeon."

Eiko's head was still pounding as manacles were put around her wrists attached to chains. She nearly fell down the steps, but Vexen kept a good grip on her arm.

For the first time she began to be truly afraid. Without her magic she was practically helpless!


	13. 2 Finding the Lost

**Chapter 2: Finding the Lost**

Yuffie gazed out the barred window, twitching a little as a random bolt of lightning came close. She gave a bored sigh and expertly flipped from the window to the wall, bouncing off that to a beam and so on until she made her way to the bottom, twenty feet below. Once there, she stretched and turned her head to get a crick out of her neck. Finally she walked over to a crack in the wall.

"Aerith?"

"I'm still here, Yuffie. Did you see anything?"

"Nothing that can help us get out of this mess, if that's what you mean. It's still misty below and I can't tell if our gummi ship has been discovered or not. There would have been a hubbub if any of these dummies found it, but not if that jerk did."

There was a short period of silence as her friend sat beside the wall on the other side, considering their options. "Maybe you would be better off alone. If you get out now, you'll have a better chance of escaping."

"Not if that means leaving you behind. I _can't_ let you stay here all by yourself."

Before another word could be spoken, they both shivered at the sudden coldness creeping over their limbs, then there was the sound of heavy bootfalls and chains clinking.

"They'll have to double-up," the guard grumbled.

There came a snort they had gotten used to hearing over the past few days. "Amazing that in a castle this size, you have only _two_ cells equipped to restrain your prisoners."

"Blame the builders, not me. None of the soldiers will bother to fix 'em, and the King would rather kill captives than feed 'em. I'm of a mind with 'im, anyway."

"Place her in the first one," the scientist Nobody ordered.

The soldier grumbled, but Aerith heard the screech of a key in the lock and the hinges protested as they swung the tired door open, then a young girl was shoved inside. She was so weak that instead of regaining her balance, she fell face-first to the filthy floor and lay there without moving. Vexen stepped in and gave an unpleasant grin as he watched the woman in pink rush to the aid of the newcomer. He snapped the chain attached to her wrists to a ring by the doorway.

"That one is dangerous so I'll be leaving the Inhibiter nearby. I hope you convince her to do as she's told, for your sakes as well as her own." He started to leave, then turned back and went over to them. A blue pouch was attached to the girl's belt and he tore it off, ripping the strings.

Once he had his prize, the Nobody left and Aerith stared at the child. She could tell right away from her clothes that this girl was not from Prydain, their current world. They were brightly colored, whereas people here wore clothing made from mostly natural hues and very little dye in them. Besides, there was the fact that she had purple hair.

"What world are you from?"

She sat up slowly, rubbing her head as though it pained her terribly. "…Gaia… But how do you know about other worlds?"

"Simple: this is not my world either." She went to a bucket and carried a dipper of water from it over to the girl. "My name is Aerith."

"Eiko." She took the dipper and drank, giving Aerith a grateful look. "Where are you from?"

"Hollow Bastion. Are you familiar with it?"

"Not at all. I've been visiting different worlds all week and never had a bit of trouble. I'm looking for a guy named Riku and was stupid enough to think I could get information here."

"Riku?" came a muffled, echoing voice.

Eiko looked around but didn't see another person in the room.

"Oh, that's Yuffie. She's in the cell next to us."

"Hey, I can introduce _myself!_"

"Too late," Aerith giggled. She leaned closer to Eiko's ear and whispered, "I left out all her titles. She always gets miffed about that."

"You did it on purpose," Yuffie grumbled. "So, what does our new cell-mate look like?"

"She has a cute outfit, purple hair, and a horn."

"A 'cute outfit'? What's that suppose to look li—did you say a _horn?_ Not two horns? Just one?"

"I was born with it, if that's what you were wondering," Eiko said slowly, not sure why she was suddenly so interested.

"So you're not human?"

The purple-haired girl had already undergone a humiliating, effortless defeat and now felt her pride was being scraped raw by this interrogation. "Of _course_ I'm human. Why do you want to know? Why do you even care?"

"Oh, so it's some kind of mutation."

The wooden dipper hit Yuffie's wall and the handle broke off. Aerith didn't seem very concerned as she went to retrieve it. "Yuffie, maybe you should stop asking so many questions now."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. She doesn't have to be so touchy about it. But how old is she?"

Aerith turned to look at her, the question in her eyes. Eiko glanced up and then quickly back down. "I'm…I'm not sure anymore. A few weeks ago I was nine years old, but then… I'm just not sure."

"I'd say you look about mid-teens. Care to tell us what happened?"

Slowly, and with much re-telling as she remembered other details, Eiko described as much as she knew of the first adventure in this series. At the end of it when she told how she'd woken up in an older body, Yuffie suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Hahahaha! Just the thought of you as a gawky little girl—_hee hee!_—and then that Riku suddenly seeing you like you are _now_. I can't even imagine what he must have been thinking. Ahahaha!"

Eiko couldn't help grinning too at the thought, then she sobered and said, "I wonder what he's doing now…"

%*%

There was a festival going on outside a huge church someone called Notre Dame. There were songs and dancing everywhere as hundreds of people dressed in costumes pranced about the square doing assorted tricks and acts. Several stray dogs had tried snapping at him for some reason, but a well-aimed kick kept them away.

One man sat in a chair on a raised platform, an air of authority about him and a guard had addressed him as Judge Frollo. Riku knew this was a celebration, but he wanted to get his mission over with as quickly as possible. If interrupting the man's entertainment got his answer quickly, he'd do it.

Approaching, he said, "Sir, I have a question if you would—"

"What is this impertinence?" the man snapped. "Why do you wear a black cloak and keep your eyes covered?"

Riku wasn't sure why it was such a criminal act since everyone else in the crowd was decked out, but for some reason this man was ticked off about anyone besides himself wearing black.

Suddenly a sash wrapped around his arm and a black-haired gypsy girl wearing a tiara and a flowing red dress was there beside him. "Can't do the act without you," she said with a good-natured laugh.

The judge leaned back, apparently less upset now that he assumed Riku was part of the entertainment but still displeased. The young woman pulled him out onto the main stage and twirled around him, her bare feet slapping the ground. Not sure what else to do without attracting attention, he danced with her, and as the music came to its climax he threw her into a breakneck spin. He was just barely able to catch her before she twirled right off the edge of the stage. The moment the music was over she threw her hands wide and stepped out of his arms, bowing to the cheering crowd.

At that moment, one of the dogs in someone's act caught a strong whiff of a foreign _otherworldly_ smell from Riku. The scent drove it crazy and before anyone knew what was happening, the animal leaped up the wooden steps with a howl and crashed into Riku from behind. They rolled about as he grappled with a creature more wolf than dog. Its hot breath stifled him and it snapped an inch from his throat.

Soul Eater appeared between its teeth, keeping those fangs from him, but the dog was beyond madness and kept trying to reach its prey despite the blade already cutting into the sides of its mouth. Left with no other choice, Riku gave a shove and sliced the dog's head in half. His blood-smeared Keyblade faded in a mist of darkness and he shoved himself up.

There was a moment of complete silence. His dancing partner's face was white and all the spectators were staring in shock…except for the judge, now on his feet, who thrust out one hand and shouted to the guards, "It's witchcraft! Seize that man!"

The gypsy threw down a smoke bomb and dropped with Riku through the bottom of the platform. The spring-panel swung back up above them and she seized a bundle waiting there before they darted into the crowd. She threw a nondescript brown cloak over him and another over herself.

"You run pretty well for a blind guy," she whispered as they sneaked.

"Thanks," he replied shortly.

Other gypsies were creating distractions all over the square. Plumes of purple smoke puffed up from three different spots and the guards all surged toward these. Somehow they made their way into Notre Dame and once the door closed behind them, Riku took a deep breath to slow his wildly-beating heart.

Keeping hidden was so easy, but when he actually had to talk to people in the worlds it was a completely different matter. This was not the first time he'd been attacked and pursued, but the last thing he wanted to do was attract everyone's attention.

"I'm Esmeralda," the woman said cordially.

"Riku." He had never been inside a church before and there was something very peaceful about it. His hand touched the smooth marble of a pillar. "This place… Is it a refuge of some kind?"

"Yes. The archdeacon here is a good man and he allows anyone into Notre Dame as long as they do not bring weapons or cause an uproar. They say he's also a philosopher and a great teacher in the academy." Her dark eyes observed him another few seconds before she said, "What was it you wanted to ask Frollo before I pulled you into my act?"

He was glad she went straight to the point. "I'm looking for two women. Their names are Aerith and Yuffie."

After hearing their descriptions the gypsy tapped her chin and walked a few paces off to stare at a stained glass window. "No… I'd recognize people that odd. You stand out more than they would, but I'm pretty sure they're not in Paris. I live in the underground and nobody gets news faster than we do. There's not even a speck of a rumor about them."

"Perfect," Riku muttered as he turned away, "another dead end."

"But…" she cried. "How—how did you do that? With the sword, I mean. One second that dog's teeth were nearly on your throat, and the next you were holding a weapon that came from nowhere. Are you…was that _real_ witchcraft?" There was fear in the words but also curiosity.

Riku stood still. "It is not for you. If anything, it's a worse curse than the people here realize. Sometimes I feel as if magic should never have been discovered. We might have been spared so much…" His thoughts went back to the crystal in Atlantis and what trouble it had caused for not just Kida's people but everyone who existed.

The woman with bouncing black hair seemed to understand his reluctance to speak about that, but she was still interested in him. "Can you really see? I think you can. No one could do those things without—"

"I have to leave," he interrupted. "Will you be able to take care of yourself or do you need any assistance getting out of here?"

Esmeralda deflated a little, realizing he wouldn't answer her questions. "I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me. Where will you go?"

"I'm still searching."

"Will you be back?"

"It's very unlikely. Thank you for your help, and goodbye."

With that he stretched his hand out, opening a portal in the air directly to his transport hidden on the outskirts of the city. He stepped through and the writhing oval of darkness faded, but not before Esmeralda called out, "You're a good dancer!"

"One headache after another," Riku said tiredly as he got back into the gummi ship and it lifted off from the ground. This time had been less productive than ever, and there were still plenty of worlds to investigate…

%*%

"So you're saying you know Riku?" Eiko asked.

"Um…sort of," came Yuffie's voice through the wall.

"How?"

There was a pause and Aerith looked a bit confused. "We're not sure. Someone told us about him…but we can't remember who."

She looked so troubled that Eiko decided to change the subject. "How did you two get stuck here?"

"We're lost. We've been trying to make our way back home to Hollow Bastion, but every world we try is no good. Usually we just approach a world and move on if it isn't ours, but we ran out of supplies and thought we might be able to get some here."

"Yeah, but unfortunately we landed in _this_ area," Yuffie grumped. "If we had just taken the ship a little farther east we probably would have been fine, but we didn't want anyone to see us, so we parked the gummi ship in a chasm about a quarter of a mile from here. The only thing keeping it hidden is that eternal mist down there."

"Did the Horned King catch you?"

"No," Aerith said. "Vexen did. We watched the castle for a while and decided we didn't want to have anything to do with it, but before we could get back to the ship and go elsewhere he appeared. We didn't know who he was or even that he was a Nobody until after he captured us."

At that point Eiko finally realized she should have tried to be more observant than simply marching up to the drawbridge.

"We would have gotten away if he had faced us in battle like a _real_ man instead of sneaking around and catching us from behind," the girl in the other cell continued to grumble.

Aerith smiled wanly. "She's mad because he used an ice attack to freeze her solid. Even a ninja can't escape if she can't move."

"Took my shuriken too. Plucked it right out of my hands like he was picking a daisy, then he tossed it on the ground like it was _worthless_. It's probably all rusted now. Stupid ice… I sneezed for two days straight."

"Oh, so you're a ninja," the summoner said.

"Yep, and Aerith is our resident healer. Fat lot of good that does us in this place. Give me a nice Fire materia and I'll blow this place sky-high…"

"You're a healer? That's funny, so am I."

Aerith laughed. "Not that I can help anyone right now. Vexen's Inhibitor keeps me from using any magic, but even if I could it wouldn't help. None of my spells are offensive."

"What exactly is the Inhibitor?"

The woman in pink leaned against the wall. "We don't know. Whatever it is, he keeps it secret. It doesn't have a very long range, though. Yuffie has been able to— Hey, are you alright?"

Eiko's eyes had lost focus and she raised a hand to rub her temples, making the chain clink heavily. "I'm sorry… My head hurts."

Her companion went to the other side of the cell and brought back an armful of hay and a few rags. it wasn't much, but it was all they had. Once she'd finished setting up the makeshift bed, Aerith motioned to it.

"The best way to get over the effects of the Inhibitor is to sleep. Don't worry, I'll be here the whole time."

She didn't even remember lying down…

%*%

Eiko stirred slightly as she heard voices. Aerith and Yuffie were talking in whispers. She turned her head to hear better and began catching some of their conversation.

"…may not work. Did that ever cross your mind?" Yuffie said fiercely.

"But I'm not alone anymore, so you can't keep using that argument. As long as Eiko is here we may find a way to help each other. You can get yourself out, Yuffie, but I can't. Go while you still have a chance."

"What if I can find the keys and get you both out?"

"When the Horned King and Vexen find out you can teleport, they'll chain you close to the Inhibitor. As long as you can get up high enough you're out of its range, but you'll only be able to use that trick once. Remember when I healed you?"

"Yeah, and that jerk was here in a flash wanting to know what we were doing. He must have some way to detect magic." The ninja considered their options for a short while, finally muttering to herself, "I don't see why I have to abandon you."

"If you find help and save us it won't be 'abandoning'."

Eiko opened her eyes and saw Aerith sitting cross-legged beside the crack that allowed her and Yuffie to communicate. She had gotten used to the faint glow from the tiny window above, but still couldn't see her friend's face very well. Was Aerith crying? It was hard to be sure.

"You're running out of time. It's now or never."

There were a few moments more of silence, then Yuffie's voice came through, almost fragile. "I'll be back. I promise you that."

The sound of scuffling came from the other cell as the ninja made her way to the very top, out of the Inhibitor's range. The dank smell around the summoner was momentarily blanketed by the scent of fragrant smoke and something like crushed leaves.

A minute later footsteps came down the hallway and Yuffie's cell was investigated. Aerith ran over to Eiko and, finding her awake, pulled her as far away as they could get from the entrance. There was a crashing noise, as though something had been thrown or kicked against the wall. Next, their cell door was flung open and Vexen stood staring at them, backlit by torches in the hall. His eyes were violent green and his face a wild mask of fury.

"_Where_ is she?"

Neither of them answered. The scientist closed his eyes and took a breath, clenching both fists by his sides. After a moment he relaxed and a smirk touched his mouth in an unpleasant way that made both girls anxious.

"It matters little. She had no abilities worth studying and she could not have been very gifted or she would not have deserted you." His gaze fastened on Eiko with such hold that she felt stifled. "Tomorrow you and I shall have a…_conversation_."


	14. 3 Dialectic Drill

**Chapter 3: Dialectic Drill**

Eiko rubbed her wrists where the metal had dug into her flesh. They were stiff and somewhat unresponsive to her efforts. She watched Vexen wind up the chain with the manacles and place them beside the locked door, then she looked around at the room where he'd brought her.

It was a tower just outside the Horned King's castle, well-anchored and nearly covered with thorn branches. The single room at the top was solid, bare, and lacking a roof. The clouds above seemed to writhe as they thundered ominously and a stark wind whistled around them.

"I wish to study your eidolons," the Nobody said, turning away from her leisurely. "I have never come across a creature like yourself and wish to record everything I can learn."

"Fat chance," she sneered, aiming a kick at him from behind.

Vexen's hand shot out and she staggered to keep her balance as he held her shoe so stiffly that she couldn't take it back. "_That_ is a way you can find yourself injured very quickly." His voice was calm, then he gave a twist and Eiko was promptly lying on the stone floor trying not to cry out from the pain. A few seconds later he released her, almost as though bored. "You will summon an eidolon for me. If you refuse, we will fight until you agree. Is that understood?"

"_Bite me_."

Way to the Dawn appeared in a flash and she swung the Keyblade at him only to meet the solid barrier of his blue shield, Frozen Pride. The Nobody's laughter echoed briefly in the roofless tower room.

"So that's your choice, is it? I feel I will quite enjoy this."

Although she had fought alongside her friends in the past, her abilities had been mostly healing arts and summoning. She only used physical attacks when it was absolutely necessary, which meant that her present struggle could easily be described as a one-sided trouncing.

No matter how she attacked, Vexen's shield blocked her so perfectly that she grew tired long before he did. And the moment she tried to get her wind back, he attacked with either a spear of ice or the shield itself.

The second time she was soundly defeated Eiko felt that she could hardly move, but she somehow got to her knees. Suddenly a gloved hand seized her left arm and yanked it at a painful angle, forcing her to bend backward.

"What makes you keep up this charade?" the Nobody wondered, giving a deft twist to her elbow. She could hardly move without pain slicing through her arm but she refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing her sob.

"Because you're trying to hurt me… You live in the darkness, and you torture me as if it's a game, and you treat me like I'm not human and—_and you're ugly!_" she shouted.

The Nobody threw back his head and laughed, releasing her in the process. Eiko bristled at the insult even as she rubbed her arm. Her grievances were worth so little to him.

"Girl, do you truly have such a narrow view of the world? Darkness and light are equals. You cannot have one without the other. Love and hatred, ugliness and beauty, good and evil, joy and sadness. They are dependent on the existence of the other."

"So where does torturing me until I do what you want fit into this grand scheme of yours?" she said acidly.

"It is a matter of equality. If you do not volunteer what I desire, I shall give you the incentive. Once you do, I will stop."

"It's wrong— E-Everything you're doing is _wrong_."

"Ah, another one: right and wrong. How can you say something is wrong if it is required in the natural world? Is night or day wrong? Summer or winter? Such beliefs are only a matter of opinion."

"_No they're not_," she screamed. "I know the difference. I know when something is wrong and I know evil in a person can be overcome. I've seen it."

"But can you show me a single person in the universe that has _not_ done something wrong?"

Eiko was silent.

"I thought as much. There isn't one, and that is because we are all made of Light and Darkness equally. You remove the Light – the person is consumed by Darkness. You remove the Darkness – the person is burnt away by the Light."

"That's not true…" the summoner said, though more weakly.

"And another: there cannot be truth without lies—"

"Shut up! I don't want to listen anymore—leave me alone—I know you're wrong—I-I _know_ it!"

As though her outburst was a sort of victory, Vexen smiled. After deflecting several more of her unskilled blows, he said, "Show me your power and not only will I let you go, but I'll take you to your beloved Riku. Or at least what's left of him."

Eiko gasped without meaning to. "What do you mean? Is he dead?"

"The Darkness is drawing him in. He has no way to fight it and slowly it will begin changing him. It starts with a slight pain in the eyes, then extends to a twinge in the chest anytime light is too bright. Soon he'll be covering his eyes, finding that the rest of his senses work so much better, especially in the darkness. After that…"

The Nobody trailed off, casting a secretive look at Eiko. Her eyes widened and she struggled up again.

"What do you mean 'after that'? What will happen to him?"

"Who can say? I'm only a scientist. I theorize. All I know is that he can't balance on the edge of a knife forever. Sooner or later he will slip, and he hasn't been leaning toward the Light. Don't you agree?"

"How should I know? I hardly knew the guy."

"But you felt it, didn't you? His cloak hides him from those aligned with Darkness. You, on the other hand…you have spells of healing running through your veins. You could not help noticing the strange shadow always lurking in the folds of his shroud."

The summoner focused on her memory, trying to remember what that strange feeling had been when she stared too long at his cloak, blacker than gloom. Yes…it was true…

There was the clink of little rocks rubbing together and she looked up. Vexen stood tauntingly holding up her stolen pouch with the summoning stones inside.

"All you have to do is agree to summon for me."

The only thing running through her mind was the fact that this man was taking advantage of her weakness. As the last inhabitant of Madain Sari, Eiko had grown up with a stubborn streak that took over whenever she was backed into a corner. More than once it had saved her, especially when everything looked hopeless during the battles alongside her friends. If she allowed this Nobody to exploit her…

"No!"

She called her Keyblade to hand once more and struck out, but with hardly any effort Vexen parried the blow with his ice spear. Not wasting a second, the shield slammed into her full-on. Way to the Dawn vanished in a flurry of faint sparkles as Eiko was crushed between Frozen Pride and the unyielding wall. Gasping desperately for air, she felt a dull snap deep inside her chest then was suddenly released.

"Are you ready to comply?" he asked once more.

Eiko lay flat on the floor, only thinking how nice and cool the stones were against her sweaty face, and not caring that little whimpers issued from her mouth with every painful breath. When she realized he was sneering at her, she pulled herself together enough to give an answer in the form of a venomous glare.

Vexen gave an exasperated snort. "Is it some misguided sense of hereditary arrogance or are you simply that stubborn?" Not waiting to hear her answer, he shook his head and continued, "Regretful. I was hoping this would be over by the time I had to leave. The Organization expects a report of my most recent studies."

The realization that she would soon be with the Inhibitor again struck her and she grasped for her magic. A Curaga spell ballooned out, healing all her physical wounds including three cracked ribs and several cuts and bruises…but the effort and the energy it required forced her into a faint.

Vexen gave an irritated noise as he realized he would have to carry her back to the cell. Picking her up by the back of her belt, he was careful to place the manacles on her wrists before heading down the stairs.

%*%

The swampy smell of the bayou outside the city barely made a dent on the city-smells of New Orleans. Nattering people, vehicles, and the brass bands flooded the atmosphere so thickly that Riku could hardly think. For the first time he truly felt blind in the middle of all this noise and barely able to sense where people were so that he didn't crash into them.

He made it into the lee of a building and leaned against it, heaving a sigh of relief. The celebration at Notre Dame was tame compared to this. There didn't even seem to be a semblance of order in all the movement out there.

"Not from 'round these parts, are ya?" a voice slithered into his ear.

Riku started and turned toward the person who had crept up beside him. Strange that he hadn't noticed him before. "I'm visiting the area, yes."

The man was tall and thin, his face narrow and hawk-like. He tipped his top hat and busied himself shuffling a pack of Tarot cards, then plucked one out with a chuckle. "I might just be able to help, if you know what I mean."

Riku turned away, unimpressed by the man. "Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested."

"The Shadow Man doesn't 'sell'. He _deals_. Why not step into my office and take a look at what I have to offer? C'mon, what could it hurt?"

The Keyblade-wielder considered his options. This person might be able to tell him if Aerith or Yuffie were in the area. He slowly followed as the man beckoned him warmly onward. They walked through a series of alleys and entered a building filled with the odds and ends of a magician. At the farthest end was a table beneath yawning drapes and lit by a red glow.

Riku paused in the entrance, feeling an odd impulse drawing him in. He resisted it, wondering at this strangeness he'd never encountered before.

"Don't be frightened of an old place like this, boy," the Shadow Man laughed. "Seems to me you need a little help gettin' in the front door."

Although the thin man was standing a few feet away, Riku distinctly felt a shove and then the door closed behind him.

"None of us here stand on ceremony. Why don't you take that blinder off and we'll talk business…"

Again though no hands touched him, something untied his blindfold and disappeared with it. Riku blinked, but when the light in the place did not hurt his eyes he began staring about. For the first time he was able to see the Shadow Man, but was more wary than ever. Something here wasn't right.

Before he could put his finger on the oddity, his 'host' seized him by the hand and pulled him over to the table. A second later he had presented the young man with a row of Tarot cards.

"All you need is three, my boy."

Despite his misgivings, Riku chose and the trio was laid before him. The first was turned over and the magician chuckled when he saw a pair of very young boys fighting with wooden swords, then the image melted into the symbol of Heartless.

"It seems your past is intertwined with that of your best friend, but it was broken when you chose to follow the path of Darkness."

The second card flipped over and Riku recognized King Mickey's map of the worlds, in the center of which was the shadow of a young woman with her hands outstretched as though lost.

"So now you're lookin' for a girl."

"Two, actually," he corrected.

"Hmm… Accordin' to my reading, you may be searchin' for two, but you're only _lookin'_ for one."

Riku thought about Kairi and shook his head. "I can never have her."

"Who said you couldn't? That's where _**I**_ come in." He stood up and gave a jazzy twirl, stopping to point dramatically at the final card.

"I chose to give her up. She doesn't want me and I want her happiness more than anything."

"Hmm…" the Shadow Man raised his eyebrows. "Why don't you take a look at the back of the second before you decide."

Riku picked up the card and turned it over, expecting to see the symbol that had just been there, but instead he stared at the picture of a girl—_not_ Kairi. It couldn't be anyone but Eiko, but her face was tear-streaked and she looked frightened. A pair of manacles chained her to a wall and behind her was a figure in a black cloak.

"_The Organization_," he cried, leaping up. "How did they—? I have to go save her!"

"Hey, now, what's the rush? I have the answer to all your problems right here in my hand."

Riku turned back and saw him holding up the card whose picture he hadn't seen yet. Again there was that odd tugging sensation and he returned to the table. The Shadow Man grinned as he handed it over.

It was an image of himself standing over Eiko protectively, his body wrapped in an aura that pulsed with power even in the two-dimensional picture.

"Not only would my gift be able to save your little darlin', but you'd be able to attract her eye. Even if she doesn't fancy you, the powers you'd have would be like nectar to a butterfly. She'd be unable to resist."

"How easy is this?"

"All I need is your agreement and we have a deal," the man said.

He extended his hand. Riku's eyes fell once again on the picture of Eiko's frightened face. Then he reached forward…

**You may recognize the style of argumentation that Marluxia uses against Riku which is very like what Vexen uses here with Eiko. I wanted their experiences to be paralleled, but don't worry! It won't be as open-ended as it was last time. The answers do exist...we just have to look for them.**

**~Janika~**


	15. 4 Juxtaposition

**Chapter 4: Juxtaposition**

**To describe things that are portrayed side-by-side, **_**Juxtapose**_** is probably my favorite word in the whole world!**

There was no lightning that night. The sky was so dark there was not even the glimmer of luminescence to lighten the cell. If it wasn't for the constant discomfort she felt no matter what position she took, Eiko would have thought she was still asleep. Vexen's words haunted her dreams, twisting the memory of that day until she couldn't be sure what really happened. The complete darkness seemed to infect her and she shivered.

"All this darkness makes you wonder if there is such a thing as light at all," she said under her breath, but the hollow cell echoed her words so that they sounded louder. "It's so hopeless…"

"You shouldn't think like that," Aerith admonished.

She started, surprised that her companion wasn't asleep. "Oh, sorry. Did I wake you up?"

"No, so don't be sorry about it. I was afraid I'd wake you up. You were completely unconscious when Vexen brought you back, so I assumed you needed the sleep."

"Oh. Thank you." The young girl paused as she jiggled the chains a little, then continued, "Why shouldn't I think about it?"

"I didn't say you shouldn't think _about_ the darkness. If you didn't I would be worried. I meant you shouldn't give the darkness more power than it really has. Believe me, that's what Vexen has tried to convince me during his experiments, but I understand him therefore he can't trick me."

Eiko cocked her head and looked in Aerith's direction even though there was nothing to see. "Maybe it's just that I still have a nine-year-old's mind, but I didn't understand anything you just said."

Aerith laughed. "Sorry. Maybe I should back up a little. Okay… What's the opposite of darkness? Well, maybe I should say 'night'."

"Day," Eiko answered, feeling a bit confused at the simplicity of the question.

"What creates the day?"

"The sun."

"What creates the night?"

"The sun setting."

"Ah, you see? There isn't a 'dark sun' or anything that makes darkness. Night is only the _absence_ of daylight."

Suddenly Eiko's eyes widened. That was it! The flaw in Vexen's argument was so simple, and yet she had been unable to pinpoint it. He said dark and light were equal…but one was only the lack of the other. They _weren't_ equal. The discovery that he was wrong gave her the greatest relief she'd ever felt.

Aerith's hand touched her shoulder comfortingly. "He tried the same thing with Yuffie and me. He asked if we felt that we had hidden memories – we told you we can't remember something important earlier, right? – then he tried to convince us the missing memories didn't exist."

"Why? What good does that do?"

"Confusion. He tries to twist our thoughts until we can't be sure what's up or down. Eventually our minds will be so broken that he can get any information he wants out of us. Didn't you notice he always said something you knew was true, then he would say something else you weren't sure about? He mixes truth and untruth, and that is where the real danger lies. You end up believing him because he has a few facts and that convinces you that he has it all worked out."

"So he's wrong…" Eiko smiled then leaned against the wall, feeling her mind relax. Before she knew it, a calm had enveloped her and she slept soundly.

%*%

Yuffie stopped in every world she came to, but never lingered. She was looking for something, or rather someone…well, one of them anyway.

At the sixth world, she found herself in the miserable town of a hilly countryside in the middle of winter. A sign on the outskirts said "Dinsford", but what that meant she had no idea. Snow was everywhere and she hugged herself, for the first time wishing she had on a warmer outfit. She turned and saw a Labrador walking across the street leading about ten little black puppies.

She stood between two buildings to keep out of the wind and blew on her hands to keep them warm. Another black dog with a dozen or so puppies walked by, then a third group went past a minute later, but she was too cold to pay much attention to animals.

A noise attracted her attention just down the street as a woman screamed at the top of her lungs from the driver's seat of a long red car . Yuffie looked where the lady was wildly gesturing and saw the dogs, only…their fur seemed to be coming off as icicles dripped water onto them. She laughed, realizing the animals had disguised themselves somehow. They were heading for a truck that was just beginning to pull away. Already many little puppies were climbing among the furniture inside.

The dogs made a break for it, but Yuffie noticed four little ones had been overlooked. Not pausing to consider whether she should be doing this or not, she darted out of her shelter and swept up all four. She could barely hold them as she ran, especially since they were struggling in her arms, but she was an expert sprinter.

When she was nearly to the truck (which was beginning to pick up more speed) she lost her grip on a fat puppy. The ninja couldn't stop to pick him up or else the truck would be going too fast for her to catch up. She got near just as it slowed to take a turn and shoved all the dogs onto her left arm so she could grab onto the tailgate without losing any more of them. The two adult dogs perched there seemed to understand her and pulled their puppies to safety.

Yuffie was by now being dragged along by the truck, then as she looked up the female dog let out a yelp and stared in disbelief at something behind. Wondering if it might be the crazy lady from town, she turned her head and saw the very last thing she expected to see here.

"A moogle!"

The furry little creature was carrying the puppy she'd dropped. His purple, bat-like wings flapped furiously as he tried to reach the truck, and when he heard Yuffie speak, he was so surprised that he nearly let go of his passenger. Luckily he had the presence of mind to let go once he reached the truck, but before anything else could happen, one wheel hit a large bump and Yuffie went flying into a snowdrift on the side of the road.

Half a minute later as she was picking herself up, the wild woman in her fancy coat and car went squealing past. Yuffie worried about the dogs, but it was too late for her to do much more to help them.

Suddenly there was a flapping sound from above and the moogle was unexpectedly hovering in front of her face. "How do you know about us? Kupo! I was being very careful not to be seen by people, but I couldn't let that puppy get lost."

The girl gave a grateful sigh and said, "_Finally_ I found one of you. I've been going from world to world looking for any moogles. I need to contact Hollow Bastion and King Mickey. My friend is in danger."

The moogle cocked his head to one side, making his yellow pom-pom wobble. "Are you Aerith or Yuffie?"

"You know about me?"

"King Mickey agreed to help us look for our friend Eiko, so we're helping him look for his missing friends too. I guess I just found one of you."

"Did you just say 'Eiko'? Does she have purple hair and a horn?"

"You've seen her?"

"Well, technically no, but I know where she is. I just need help to free her and my friend since they're imprisoned."

The little moogle was flying in spirals and loop-de-loops, singing a cheery song. A chill wind reminded Yuffie they were not indoors and she hastily noted this to her new companion. They made their way back to town and then to her hidden gummi ship. Before she had even closed the door, the moogle was at the communications panel.

"Don't bother with that," she said. "It doesn't work this far from Hollow Bastion."

"It will once I connect to our Mognet. I can send messages to every moogle in all the worlds— Ah, we're in. Hmm…" He continued to punch buttons until he seemed satisfied. "It looks like we have an ally nearby. My third cousin twice removed says she saw him in the New Orleans world."

"Who is it?"

%*%

The Shadow Man grinned as he saw the teenage boy reach toward his hand, but suddenly Riku gripped his wrist so tightly that the other had to choke back a pained noise.

"Did you really believe I would do what you wanted if it included the Darkness? It always promises and never fulfills. _Thanks_ for the offer, but I'll help Eiko on my own terms."

The witch doctor yanked his arm away. "No skin off my back if you don't heed my advice, but _you're_ the one callin' to the Darkness. You could be powerful – more powerful than _me_ – if you simply accepted it as part of yourself."

Riku was already walking away and he snatched up his blindfold off the floor. He'd heard all this before. It was empty.

"It's stronger than you know. Someday you'll find yourself in a bind, unable to defeat your enemy because you're just not strong enough. Then you'll have to choose whether to accept the Darkness lying dormant inside you or _lose!_"

The Shadow Man had to shout the last word because Riku had just walked out. He sat back and cracked his knuckles.

"Well, that one's bound for failure. I s'pose I'll have to find a new sucker…"

%*%

Eiko stood in an ankle-length jumper that matched the violet hue of her hair perfectly, facing her opponent with a look of concentration. They came at each other and their weapons clashed. The young girl was thrown off-balance and another blow at the base of her weapon sent a wave of numbness crawling painfully over her fingers. The next thing she knew, her back was flat against the floor.

A hand reached out to her and she took it wordlessly. Aerith gave an apologetic smile as she helped her student back up.

"That was better, but your feet were in the wrong position again. You need to stand like _this_ so that you can always keep stable. Otherwise all I have to do is hit you with an attack from the side and then use a backstroke."

"But I don't see how you can disarm me so quickly," Eiko insisted as she retrieved the staff her friend had found for her (well, it was actually more like a long stick). "Vexen just used his shield to bull right over me."

"That's just a different technique, but if you learn even the rudiments of fighting you can hold him off much longer no matter what weapon anyone uses against you."

"I wish there was a quicker way to learn."

The older healer twirled her staff expertly and took up a fighting stance. "Learning properly takes time. That's why Vexen and the rest of the Organization are where they are."

"What do you mean?"

She paused as though reconsidering her words. "Well, I suppose they each had their own reasons, but the main motive many people have for choosing Darkness is because it's easier to reach their goal. After all, it gives power to its users very quickly."

Eiko held her staff out and brushed a long strand of hair from her eyes. "So you're saying the Light gives power but more slowly?"

"Yes," Aerith said as their weapons met again with a _clack_. "Look at Darkness and you'll see it seeks to conquer and annihilate, spreading in order to destroy. Now look at Light and you'll see it only wants to liberate and give life, spreading in order to provide harmony. It's the difference between being selfish and being _selfless_."

Again the staff was knocked from Eiko's hands and she stepped back, defeated. This time her stance had been better but the chain got in the way. "I wish I knew more about the difference. It seems so simple when you tell me, but I fall into those traps so easily."

The woman in pink went over to the water bucket and used the broken dipper to drink. Eiko joined her.

"Think of it a different way: it starts with goodness, but then that goodness is twisted. Eating is a good thing since it nourishes us, but suppose you eat and eat and eat. Is that good?"

"No. I'd get sick."

"That's gluttony for you. Same thing with resting: we rest because it helps us recover our energy, but suppose you just rest all the time. You become slothful." Aerith looked up at the tiny window overhead, which gave off a gray half-light. "I could list a hundred examples, but I want to simplify it for you: evil is a parasite."

"It is?"

"Yes. It can't exist without things that are naturally good first because it needs something to warp and twist. Unless it latches onto something else first, it can't even _be_. Let's try again, only throw the chain over your shoulder since it keeps getting in the way."

She did so. Once more they stood facing each other, weapons held out. Eiko's thoughts were beginning to come clear and she gave a slight smile. She had just remembered a move one of her old companions back on Gaia used. If she could just get the timing right…

_Clack!_ She barely blocked in time and pushed against the attack. One foot slipped back and immediately Aerith tried the same maneuver as before to throw her off-balance. But this time she dropped low and braced the end of her staff on the floor in front of her, that way when Aerith struck it, the blow didn't hurt Eiko's hands. Instead she used the instant after the blow to smash the length of the staff into her opponent's chest.

Aerith reeled back, obviously surprised. But an instant later she was grinning. "That was an effective but _dirty _trick. Show me what you did and we'll improve on that move."

A short time later Eiko was drenched in sweat and too exhausted to do much more than lay down on her makeshift bed and munch on the crusty bread they were given. The older woman paused a moment as she looked down at the stick her friend was using.

"You never learned to use any weapon at all?"

The summoner flushed slightly. "My rod came in handy like a club when I needed it…and I used to practice with bow and arrow, but I've been mostly a magic-user since I was five."

She spent a short moment reliving her experiences with archery, but then remembered the reason it had become impossible later on. After her grandfather passed away she could barely string the bow properly and was unable to repair it once it broke. Following that, her primary use of magic for defense had been mainly due to necessity rather than choice. And now her magic had been enhanced because of the Keyblade. And that thought brought a whole host of others along with it.

"I wonder…" she started, staring at the dark corners of their cell. "Do you think if Riku knew I was in trouble he would come looking for me?"

The healer shrugged. "Who can say? From what you told me he might come to reclaim his keychain, but you also saved his life. He would probably want to return the favor."

Her eyebrows scrunched together as she screwed up her face. "It's funny…but I'm just getting the strangest feeling…almost as if something else might draw him."

"Are we getting into romantic thoughts here?" Aerith asked suggestively.

"What? Not me. I just meant…_gah!_ I can't even put it into words." Eiko flicked the bread crumbs away and pulled her knees up to her chest. "This sounds so stupid, but I feel like there's something I have he wishes he had. When I first met him I got that sense, but he was gone before I could understand it. Maybe I'm just going crazy now."

"You know something, Eiko? I think you may be on the right track more than you realize. Perhaps someday you'll figure it out."


	16. 5 Deus ex Machina

**Chapter 5: Deus Ex Machina**

**The phrase **_**Deus Ex Machina**_** is used to describe a plot device that magically solves the problem at hand without our main characters having to sweat it out. Hopefully mine doesn't seem too far-fetched. (I still want them to sweat a little!)**

The door opened and someone was thrust inside while the guard grumbled something like, "Now it's _three_ to a cell." A blonde girl in a rose-colored skirt and a long-sleeved white blouse stood and dusted herself off irritably.

"Of all the rude people!" she complained. The door slammed shut and locked behind her. "Oh! It seems I'm not as alone as I thought I would be. I'm Princess Eilonwy. Who are you two?"

"Hello," Eiko said, standing up. "I'm Eiko and this is my friend Aerith. Why did they throw you in here?"

"I hardly know at all! My aunt—well, she _says_ she's my aunt—practically gave me to that horrid man upstairs to save her own skin. He thought my bauble could find a ridiculous 'cauldron' or something. Seems like a load of rubbish to me!"

Aerith beckoned her to sit down and she did so. "What's so special about your bauble that the king would steal you from your aunt?"

"Oh, it's a bit of magic is all. Come on out, now. We're as safe as we can be in this dreary place." Eilonwy was looking down at a pocket in her skirt, which suddenly began to glow.

A second later a tiny ball emanating a golden light came soaring out. It made a pass around the cell, twirling and spiraling through the air until it came to Eiko, then it seemed to dance around her head.

"What's it doing?" the young girl giggled as it tapped against her horn.

"I couldn't say! Sometimes it likes people, but most of the time it doesn't. I'm surprised it's being so friendly with you." Eilonwy gestured and the bauble came floating back to her and its light turned a pale blue-silver.

Aerith peered at it with such keen interest that Eiko wondered what was so fascinating about it. At last the woman said, "It isn't affected! The Inhibitor doesn't make any difference to this magic."

It struck Eiko what that meant. "It's immune! But how?"

By now the newcomer was thoroughly confused. "Immune to what?"

They explained about Vexen's Inhibitor from the Castle of Llyr and that neither of them could use magic in its presence. During the telling, Eilonwy kept making strange faces until she finally burst out laughing. The other two prisoners glanced at one another.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes! I just think it's so funny! That 'Inhibitor'—as your man in black calls it—is a relic of my ancestors. My aunt forced me to learn about every single boring detail of their accomplishments including all the objects of power they made. Usually their effects were permanent, but there always existed a Skeleton Key."

Eiko leaned forward, jostling the chains in her eagerness. "Where can we find it?"

"That's the funniest part! I have it with me always!" Eilonwy continued to giggle as she held up the bauble that rested in her hand.

Aerith brightened. "So now we simply have to find out where the Inhibitor is and stop it."

"Don't worry, I already have that covered!"

The princess walked over to the girl in chains and touched the bauble to her manacles. Instantly they sprang open and dropped to the floor, and both Eiko and Aerith felt the chill of the Inhibitor's magic vanish.

"_That_ was it?"

"Seems so," Aerith smiled. "I'm surprised it didn't occur to me before since there didn't seem to be any reason to chain you in here when he didn't chain either Yuffie or myself. But…chained or unchained, we are still trapped inside this room."

"Not for long!" Eiko said. She held out her hand and Way to the Dawn appeared. She took a deep breath and focused on the lock in the cell door. A few disappointing seconds later she gave a vexed grunt. "Oh, hang it! How does this key work, anyway?"

Eilonwy had been staring at it, enthralled, and said, "Perhaps if you touched it to door the contact would be stronger."

With no other suggestion, she did so. The Keyblade responded with a glow and there was a snap inside the lock! Eiko touched the handle and the door moved easily. She glanced cautiously into the hallway and gestured to her companions that it was clear. They all stood in the hallway and looked around.

Aerith inhaled deeply and the long stick in her hands suddenly changed into a metal staff decorated at the top with a ruby and three gold ornamental prongs. She grinned at the look on Eiko's face.

"Meet the Princess Guard. You didn't think you were the only one who had a magic weapon, did you?" Her eyes flicked up and she started to give a warning.

"Pris'ners escapin'!" a bawdy voice cried out behind them.

Eiko turned and saw a large, hairy guard drawing his sword. He was almost directly on top of her! Without thinking she dropped into a roll and slipped beneath him, then swung the Keyblade at him from behind. The man was thrown forward and Aerith dealt him a sharp blow to the head that put him instantly to sleep.

All three women stood there waiting to see if anyone had heard the man, but after half a minute they relaxed. They walked quickly down the hallway and turned left, but Eilonwy kept looking at them in an impressed sort of way.

"I always wondered what it must be like to handle a weapon. My aunt never did let me do anything half so interesting. Hm! What is it?"

Her attention had been drawn to the bauble which had begun to glow brightly. It danced about and went to float in front of a window. She joined it and looked out, then suddenly made an unusual noise.

"That's so odd! There are two gwythaints coming back, but one of them is carrying a pig."

The summoner glanced out too. "Maybe it's hungry."

"No…that can't be it. Gwythaints eat where catch their food because no other creature would dare attack them. The Horned King must have sent them out after that pig. But why? What's so special about that animal?"

Before they could dwell on the puzzle much longer, there came a commotion from behind. The golden ball turned silver and fled back into its mistress's pocket. Aerith glanced back and then gave an expression that said she considered herself a fool.

"We forgot to hide the man we knocked out!"

An alarm was going up all around the castle! There were noises both ahead and behind now, and all three women darted toward a passageway nearby. There was only a window and two doors there but both were locked.

"Eiko, your Keyblade!"

"I'm on it!"

She whipped out the weapon and tapped it to the first door. Eilonwy yanked it open and stared. The stone floor had fallen away, leaving about a foot and a half of bricks in the 'room' before it ended. She slammed the door and pressed herself against the wall, shaken by the dizzying drop. Eiko quickly tapped the other door and pulled it open: a stairway going down.

By now the shouts and tromp of feet were nearly upon them, so they hurried through the door and locked it. They crouched there in the dark for a moment to slow their wildly-beating hearts, then the eldest touched her companions and they began their descent cautiously.

When the soldiers tried to open the door, all three of them froze as if afraid the slightest noise would give them away. But after a moment the clatter from above ceased, and the bauble came out to light their way.

They continued downward, not speaking until Eiko had to say her mind. "I'm not leaving until I find my pouch. All my stones are in it."

Aerith touched her shoulder. "Can't you get new ones?"

"Once upon a time the people of my village could have made new ones, but the art for most of them has been lost. They're irreplaceable! I won't let Vexen keep them."

Her voice had turned hard and Aerith knew she could not convince her to abandon them. Instead she asked, "How can you get them away from him? He hasn't been here for nearly a week. Yuffie and I never knew when he would show up."

Eiko frowned in concentration. "That tower… The one where we fought… Just before we reached the top I saw him go over to an alcove and pick something up. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now I suspect that's where he kept my pouch."

"Are you really so sure?" Eilonwy wondered. She had no idea why the stones were so precious, but she did understand that they were very valuable to her fellow escapee.

"As sure as I can be about anything. It's my only chance."

Aerith peered out a tiny hole in the mortar. "It seems we're nearly to ground-level. There must be a doorway around here someplace."

Almost as though in answer to her comment, they rounded another bend in the stairway and saw a door. The stairs continued downward, but they didn't want to go any farther along this path than they had to.

The bolt came loose easily, but the door itself creaked louder than any of them wanted. Eiko bade her companions goodbye and told them to make their way out of the castle safely. The look on her face assured them there was no point in arguing with her about going alone.

"I would rather you both get away than all of us get captured," she said. "Eilonwy, I think I would have liked to get to know you. Maybe we'll have a chance after all this is over. Aerith…thank you for everything. You don't know what it means to me."

Without waiting for a response from either of them, she dashed into the silent hallways. The other two women waited for fifteen minutes, hoping Eiko would be back, and were just about to go searching for an exit when they heard the sounds of men approaching.

"I don' care if ya hafta break down ev'ry door in th' whole castle! If th' Horn'd King wants 'em found, we'll find 'em!"

What the words meant for Eilonwy and Aerith was obvious: their hiding place was no longer safe. The older woman made a quick decision and whispered, "Stay here! Maybe there is another way out farther down. I'm sure this passage must go somewhere. I'll distract them while you go, alright?"

"A-are you sure? Suppose they try to open this door anyway?"

"Don't worry. Just lock it behind me. Take care!"

Aerith slipped through and walked a few paces until she stepped into sight of the soldiers. One hand flew to her mouth as though shocked at seeing them and then she took off running down a passage in the opposite direction calling, "Run! They've seen me!"

Just like that…healer, princess, and summoner were separated.

Eilonwy hurried down a few steps and paused. The pursuit above had quickly faded, but now she was alone. The bauble dimmed to its sorrowful blue-silver and she smiled wanly at it. She did not feel so very brave now and it was doubtful she could get away from this awful place on her own.

She began to descend by herself and some time later would encounter an ancient passageway that led underneath some cells on the far side of the castle, and soon after would hear an odd tapping. Since her bauble would not indicate any danger, she would open a panel and meet a young boy by the name of Taran…but not yet.

%*%

**A/N****: When I was in middle school I had the opportunity to read the entire series that "The Black Cauldron" was based on. For anyone else out there who was as shocked as I was at the shredding of a perfectly good story simply to make a cartoon, I hope we sympathize with each other. As it is, I did my best to use what I remembered about Eilonwy's family, past, and temperament to influence her character here. Back to the story!**

%*%

There were no soldiers between the castle and the tower, but there might be any number of them looking down from the battlements. Eiko couldn't be sure. She backtracked and looked for anything she could use to disguise the loud colors of her jumper and hair.

After a bit of searching she came across a pile of old sacks. She ripped one partway along the seams so that it was long enough to cover her, and then she picked up an old rusted spear with the point broken off. If anyone was looking down, they would hopefully be far enough away to mistake her for one of their own men.

The summoner marched out, holding the weapon as though expecting trouble. There was no shout and she made it to the tower without raising any suspicion from the four guards who had seen her.

Once in, she threw off the itchy sacking and dropped the useless spear. She ran up the winding stair, taking the steps two at a time until she lost her breath and was forced to go up the rest a bit slower. She passed two alcoves and then about three-quarters of the way up, she caught sight of the one she wanted!

Excitement gave her another burst of energy and Eiko hurried the rest of the way, but when she got there the only thing to greet her was a thin layer of dust. Instant despair overwhelmed her and she slumped down on a stair in defeat.

"I should have known he would take them with him."

"No I didn't," Vexen's voice came from above. "I simply retrieved them when I returned half an hour ago."

She surged to her feet and stared at the Nobody. He stood farther up the steps, dangling her pouch from his hand. Every single hope was dashed to pieces. The only reason she had come here was to try and get them while he _wasn't_ present. Now…

"I have asked politely for your cooperation…I have threatened…I have even tried to reason with you…" he said as he came toward her slowly, "but it seems you are more stubborn than anyone else of my acquaintance. I have no time left to waste. This very hour you will summon an eidolon for me or you will _die_."

The word had a note of finality to it that Eiko could not mistake. The seed of an idea came to her mind. It was terrifying but it just might work, especially if…

She nodded once and it took all her willpower to keep from biting her lip. He gestured that she was to walk up first and he would follow. The summoner went, thinking hard about what she would do. There simply wasn't any other way. He would kill her if she didn't do it, and he would use whatever he learned to harm others if she did do it.

Vexen said several things behind her, his voice betraying exactly how intelligent he thought he was. "Ah, the futility… To think that I tried to make you understand the equality of the universe and the inevitable deadlock between Light and Darkness. On such a weak little mind as yours, I ought not to have wasted any time at all."

The girl started giggling which brought Vexen's monologue to an abrupt end.

"What do you find so entertaining?"

"Which weighs more: a thing or the absence of a thing?"

The Nobody seemed confused by the question and he answered since it was so simple. "The thing, naturally."

"If a parasite has nothing to eat, how does it survive?"

"It cannot," he answered, now thoroughly mystified by her riddles.

"There! You yourself have just debunked Yin-Yang and your own theories. Darkness can't exist on its own, and Light will always triumph because it's stronger!"

This statement sent her into a flurry of new laughter and Vexen stared as if she'd lost her mind. But because he was too proud to ask for an explanation, he waved it aside saying, "I have no time to waste on faulty philosophy. Choose your eidolon, but be aware that at any moment I can activate the Inhibitor."

He held up the manacles as a warning and her heart leapt at the sight. Now she was almost certain her plan would work. Eiko took the pouch from him and sifted through the collection of summoning stones. She had already decided which it would be and chose the piece of gray coral immediately.

Standing up straight, she called in a ringing voice, "Bismarck, I command your service! Obey me!"

Of all the eidolons her grandfather had shown her, there were only two or three that were very proud. He had warned her time and time again never to insult or attempt to dominate any of them, but especially not those. His response to her _Why?_ had been a shudder, and then he told her the bond between summoner and summon would break and her life would be in danger.

This was what she was now counting on.


	17. 6 Chilled to the Bone

**For those of you who have been getting alert after alert for the last couple weeks, you may be happy to know my updating-spree is OVER! From now on there will probably be one submission a month or whatever. Well, for those of you who have been waiting forever to find out what happens, I hope you're not disappointed.**

**Chapter 6: Chilled to the Bone**

On the edge of Gaia a giant whale felt the pull of a summoner. He started to respond lethargically but halted as words came across their bond. His tail thrashed with rage, sending waves of destructive power throughout his domain. A bellow broke forth from his great mouth which was heard by all the other eidolons and his grey eyes turned bloodshot.

Oh yes, he would _certainly_ go!

%*%

A new darkness enveloped the clouds in a matter of seconds and a rumble began deep in the rock below the castle. The storm clouds turned liquid magically until a miniature sea floated in the sky above them.

Vexen himself was fascinated. So _this_ was how it worked. A simple and yet intricately complex melding of mind and magic within the genetic sphere of the girl's body resulted in what could be called in simple terms "a private megaphone" to reach creatures that lived in a different dimension. Then it became a channel that widened to allow the eidolons to travel directly to the place where she was. The process took only seconds no matter how far away she was from her world. Quite incredible, really.

Bismarck had appeared on the water roiling above them. He was a giant whale of darkest blue, his fins and tail lashing angrily side to side as though he was infuriated. A deep roar echoed around them like a terrible crack of thunder directly overhead, yet also like two waves meeting with deadly force.

The scientist Nobody glanced down at Eiko with displeasure. "I warned you not to summon a creature and try to use it against me."

She didn't even flinch as he seized her wrists and clamped the manacles to them. Instead (strangely enough) she grinned almost cunningly. The coldness washed over them both and every connection to magic was severed…but the whale still hung in the sky, roaring and thrashing.

Vexen darted a glance between prisoner and eidolon. "What—? Why is it not vanishing? This should have blocked it…"

"It's too late. The moment he appeared he broke ties with me because I insulted him. Now he won't leave until he kills me and I'm _not_ about to die _alone_."

With that, she jerked the chain and snatched the key from his hand. Before Vexen knew what she was doing, the tiny piece of metal had been thrown up and over the wall of the tower. The man's green eyes were poisonous as he turned on her. What she had done was obvious: neither of them could use magic now, meaning he could not teleport to safety.

A new storm was raging in the sky, making the clouds churn as if being stirred. The streaks of lightning that had constantly been flashing ever since Eiko had arrived in Prydain increased in number. The whale's eyes shot open and began to search for the creature that had _dared_ exert authority over him.

Yet where they stood far below, Eiko suddenly felt uneasy. Vexen had not tried to get away from her. In fact, he stepped closer and seized the neck of her shirt.

"You know, that might have worked if I didn't know about a _technicality_."

He reached into his cloak and pulled out what looked like a piece of glass about the same length and shape as a knife. Then with a look of savagery he stabbed her in the right shoulder. Eiko gasped at the cold shock it sent through her whole body and fell to her knees as the man dropped her. One hand grabbed at the knife but her fingers deadened immediately.

Only when she looked at her hand did she realize what Vexen had done: the knife was an icicle that was slowly freezing her body solid!

This knowledge gave her an instant to decide what to do. Already her hand had stiffened and the paralysis began to travel up her arm, not to mention it was spreading from her shoulder directly to her chest.

Vexen had just stepped back to admire the result of an experiment in "stored magic" when the girl suddenly flung herself at one of his legs. He wasn't overly concerned since it seemed like such a feeble attempt to strike back and he was about to kick her in the face—when she unexpectedly wrapped the chain around his ankle and touched its end to the icicle still piercing her shoulder.

Instantly the metal froze firm, and seconds later so did her entire upper torso. By now the magic was flowering from simply freezing the body to forming a thick coating of ice over her skin.

It had finally sunk in what this meant, and the scientist tried hard to get rid of her. But it was by all accounts far too late. Unable to move his leg, he fell back against the wall. The girl was fused to the stones, trapping him there as well.

%*%

Aerith twirled her staff expertly, jabbing one man in the stomach with the base and quickly clouting another on the head with the decorated end. She was a whirlwind that none of the soldiers could touch, and little by little she made her way toward the nearest exit. At last Aerith was standing there alone among the unconscious soldiers.

She stepped outside and for the first time felt at a loss for words. The giant whale roaring and lashing about on a cloud-like wave up in the sky had one eye fixed on the tower just a few hundred yards away from her. Aerith had never been afraid of a summon in her life, no matter how terrible it appeared, but there was something distinctly different about this one. It was enraged beyond _reason_.

"There you are!" a familiar voice called from behind as Yuffie came running up. "It's a good thing you left a trail. All I had to do was follow the bodies."

The healer gave a small smile but then immediately turned back to the horrifying scene outside. "Eiko summoned that which means Vexen must be up there forcing her to do it. We need to help her, Yuffie."

"No," a new voice she'd never heard before contradicted. Riku came into view, stepping over a soldier or two as he approached and Aerith was surprised to see his eyes covered with a blindfold. "I can help her alone. You two need to get back to the gummi ship and take off for Hollow Bastion."

"But she's our friend," she started to protest.

"And she'll be safer with me than anyone else. Get going."

He opened a portal directly to their gummi ship. They cast looks back up at the Summon and Aerith was about to insist on staying when her friend touched her arm, gave her a meaningful look and went through. The healer hesitated a moment longer before following and less than a minute later their ship had left Prydain. As they entered the space between worlds, they looked at one another.

Yuffie couldn't hide her grin any longer. "It's about time her knight showed up. It just wouldn't do to steal all his thunder, you know."

Back on the surface, the Keyblade wielder motioned for a new portal to transport him to the tower's crown, but a crippling headache attacked him instantly. He tried again but it failed once more. Something was blocking him. One of the moogles who had come with him flew over.

"Where is she?" Stiltzkin asked.

"Up there, but something's wrong. I can't use magic to teleport to the top. Can you fly up and see what's going on? Don't get too close; just tell me if you see anything."

The little creature zoomed high into the air and promptly came zooming straight back with wide eyes. "It's one of the Organization and I think he's struggling with someone."

"Yuffie said it's Vexen and no doubt Eiko's there too. We need to—"

"It's too late!" "Get back!" "The eidolon! The eidolon!" several small voices cried out. Five more moogles came shooting out of the sky and pushed both Riku and Stiltzkin into the castle's side-entrance. He forced his way past them just in time to see something that nearly made his heart stop.

%*%

Bismarck's roving eye finally located Eiko. _"Did you think I was your lapdog, girl?"_ his voice boomed in her head. _"You called and here I am!"_

With a roar that shook the very foundation of the Horned King's castle, the small ocean in the sky began to spill out onto the tower. Vexen felt as though he had suddenly fallen into a deep, rushing river as his breath was driven away and the water pressed down on him with the weight of a mountain. Then the whole building swayed.

In the brief moment after Eiko's entire body had been encased in ice and it began to freeze her mind, she cast a thought back up at the giant whale whose wrath had not abated. Perhaps he would hear her somehow.

_I'm so sorry for using you this way…but if I could keep this man from using me to hurt others, even at the cost of my own life…perhaps it is a good sacrifice…_

With a grinding of stone on stone, the tower twisted toppled off the edge of the cliff. Far below in a mire among the sharp rocks, the rubble and two persons fell. The force of the crashing water and all the stones which toppled down onto them would be enough to kill the strongest creature.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Vexen's battered, broken, breathless body began to blur at the edges. The few thoughts that remained to him were those of a coward begging for his life, offering everything he could think of and blaming everyone else while insisting on his own innocence. The Chilly Academic's pride melted away…and so did he…

%*%

Riku stood on the rocks far below the Horned King's castle, staring into the fog and hoping to see some trace of Eiko. The water was in turmoil even after thirty minutes. He hoped that her body hadn't been swept away to some other place. Stiltzkin perched beside him, little wings flapping and drooping each time a piece of larger debris floated by. Other moogles were flying over the area making sad noises.

"Kupo…" he said unhappily. "We hoped to find her, and now she just committed kamikaze to destroy that Nobody…"

Riku dropped to the ground in defeat, sitting beside the moogle. He now regretted having cast aside the Shadow Man's help so carelessly. Perhaps if he'd agreed, he would have found his way there more quickly…

"Why were you after her?" he wondered, simply to say something to take their minds off the search for Eiko's lifeless corpse. "The moogles don't really have any alliances except among themselves."

Stiltzkin looked up, his pom-pom swaying. "Well, it's only partly for her sake that we've been searching. Nearly ten years ago the eidolon Madeen became a moogle – a thing that's never been done before. Because of that, we pledged ourselves to her. Whenever she has need we answer. She knew Eiko was gone from Gaia but couldn't find her unless she was summoned, so she asked us to look."

"But what sort of connection does that eidolon have with Eiko?"

"You'll find out if you let me _finish_. When Madeen was a moogle, she was always very skittish but she and Eiko were best friends. Eiko had no idea her companion was an eidolon and did what she could to protect her. But when Eiko's life was in utmost danger, Madeen's powers flowered to their fullest potential and she regained her original form, but stronger than she ever would have become otherwise." He sniffed a little and rubbed his eyes. "It was the most touching moment in Gaia's history."

"Wow," Riku couldn't help rolling his eyes. "That was really…boring."

"That's just because you weren't _there_," the moogle fumed, hovering in place agitatedly. "My point is that Madeen watches out for Eiko, and when she disappeared some time ago without saying a word about it to her best friend, Madeen had no choice but to assume the worst. She asked us to go looking and we did."

Just then they were interrupted by a cry from one of the moogles. All six, including Stiltzkin, converged on the spot and came closer to the rocky outcropping pulling something along.

He reached out to help them heave it up onto surer ground but nearly yanked his hands away when he touched it. Why on earth was it so cold? The little creatures' wings drooped as they gathered around the object, giving small, woeful noises.

Riku took off his blindfold and looked at it for the first time. It might have been the overcast sky or the shadow of the castle, but his eyes didn't hurt and he could see clearly that it was indeed Eiko entrapped in a block of ice. She had her eyes squeezed shut and her arms were wrapped around something that was gone now, and her wrists were bound by manacles. Still, it almost seemed like…

"I'm not so sure she's dead. The ice might have protected her during the attack, which means if we can melt it she might wake up."

The moogles all turned hopeful eyes toward him and a couple even flitted about from joy, though it was premature since he couldn't be sure his plan would work or not. It was better than nothing. The young man tried to summon his Keyblade—and a headache was suddenly pounding hard behind his eyes…just like when he tried to teleport earlier.

Then he understood.

%*%

It was so cold that everything had come to a complete stop. Only in the farthest recesses of her mind was Eiko even aware of anything at all. But slowly her awareness widened. Bit by bit she began to feel a painful prickle all over her body. Before long the slightest movement caused arrows of shooting pain.

At long last she cracked open her eyes. Wh—where _was_ she? The loud yellow and red paint made her shut her eyes tightly for another minute. When she peeked out again it didn't seem so overwhelming. She moved a finger and new needles of pain spiked, making her gasp.

There was a _kupo!_ nearby and suddenly Eiko was nearly smothered by fuzzy creatures with bat-like wings. Riku came over and swept the overexcited moogles away. "Give her some room, you little rodents. This gummi ship is hardly large enough as it is without all of you jumping around."

She looked up at him in confusion. "What happened?"

He turned his head a little to the side, his green-blue eyes observing her with relief. "That's what I wanted to ask you. What happened with the whale?"

The girl sat up, keeping the covers wrapped around her shoulders. In short sentences she described how Vexen caught her and she didn't seem to have any choice but to permanently keep him from hurting anyone else. In return, Riku told her how the moogles had found him and told him where she was, then how they fished her out of the water and figured out what was keeping him from using magic.

"I had to get out of range before I could summon the Keyblade and use it to unlock your manacles. After that we managed to melt the ice and move you here to my gummi ship. We left Prydain a while ago since I didn't think you would want to stay."

The girl tried to smile at him, but her teeth were still chattering too much.

"I can try to take you home. Gaia isn't too far from here and we could be there in a couple hours."

"Thank you, but I can go home anytime I like since I can use Atomos now. Besides, I'd like to spend more time with Aerith. She's been a great teacher and I want to ask her lots more questions. Is she here?" She looked around eagerly.

The young man glanced over his shoulder at the moogles, but they didn't say a word. Apparently they didn't want to spare him the explanation. "I asked her to go on ahead, so she and Yuffie left for Hollow Bastion before the Summon attacked you. They have no clue what happened."

"Is there any chance I could find her?"

"Probably, but unless you manage to get yourself and her imprisoned again, the likelihood that she would be able to spend as much time with you as before is very slim. There is so much work to be done and they're already shorthanded as it is." He paused, thinking about what she'd said. "You called her your 'teacher'. What did you mean by that?"

"Well, she was showing me how to fight…and she was also giving me a few lessons in philosophy. Seems silly, I know, but it meant more to me than you can imagine." Her thoughts went back to Vexen. It would have been so easy for him to break her if Aerith hadn't been there to keep her on-track. "If only I'd had a little more time with her…"

Riku was silent but it was a silence that indicated the beginning of an idea. She looked expectantly at him until he finally met her eyes, looking as though he knew something she would be interested in. "I think I might have the answer to your problem. While I was looking for Aerith and Yuffie I came across a world…"

By the time he had explained everything, Eiko was beaming. "That's it! That's what I've been searching for. An actual _school_ where I can learn the answers to my questions… But do you really think I can get in?"

"You've come this far, so it's worth a shot. I don't think they would be able to refuse you anyway. You're just too stubborn."

She started to say something but her reply was interrupted by two sneezes and she grimaced slightly as she pulled the covers more tightly around her. "My hands are so cold…"

Riku stood up and got another blanket and as he handed it to her, his gloved hand touched her cheek. "But you have a warm heart."

She didn't say a word but her eyes grew wider. He stepped back abruptly, clearing his throat and patting her shoulder in an ungraceful attempt at _less_ intimate fellowship. He walked into the other room where the controls were and started a new course for Paris. But as he sat down, Riku smacked himself on the forehead and muttered, "Stupid, stupid!" to himself.

**If anyone out there can guess what comes next, I'll give them a cookie! Alright, alright… I'll give a hint: think of a seafaring expedition that isn't on the ocean.**


	18. 1 Just When I Started to Relax

**A Collection of Hearts #4: ****Where Your Treasure Is, There Also Your Heart Will Be**

**Chapter 1: Just When I Started to Relax**

The view of Paris from the left bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral was worth traveling through several worlds to see. Eiko watched the sunset hitting the clouds with solid rays of light, setting half on fire and casting the rest awash with pink, orange, and strips of purple shadows while the rest of the sky was beginning to fade into navy blue.

She leaned against the casement and listened to Quasimodo ring one of the church's five bells. As the stone beneath her trembled with every strike of the clapper against the bronze, she couldn't help taking a deep breath and making a silent "Thank you" for everything that had happened recently.

The Archdeacon's heart was good and he understood Eiko's need to learn, but even more important than that, he kept her secret. Rather than being shocked on seeing the horn in the middle of her forehead when they first met, he smiled and gave a warm welcome, calling her his 'daughter'. There were empty rooms in the church that had not been used in years, and he gave one of these to her for as long as she had need of it. In return for that hospitality, she cleaned the church.

He also gave her private lessons and occasionally she sat in during a public lecture (only when it was cold and rainy so that no one wondered why she kept her cloak over her head). During the past month Eiko's progress in philosophy could easily be called average, but she was fascinated by it and her questions impressed the Archdeacon, even if he did have to explain things more than five times. After a while she herself also became a tutor of sorts.

The hunchback returned from the main belfry and smiled when he saw she was waiting for him in his room. Since he couldn't read, she had drawn sketches to help him understand what her lesson had been about that day. He took the paper and gazed eagerly at the pictures.

"What does it mean?"

"Today I learned about the three pillars we instinctively use to identify what is right: truth, goodness, and beauty."

Quasimodo's face fell at the mention of the last and he looked down at his large hands in something like shame.

She touched his arm and gave a friendly smile, pointing to some of the other sketches near the bottom of the page. "I was worried about that too, but there are different kinds of beauty: appearance, morality, intelligence, action, music… There are many people who are beautiful and _not_ good, but the opposite is easily true: someone who doesn't look beautiful—or handsome—can be good."

He continued to avoid her eyes. "You know they call me a monster…"

"But you see, that's why it's important to take the first two parts of the equation into account. Truth and goodness together with beauty of the _mind_ make you a very wonderful person."

Quasimodo's eyes slowly rose to meet hers because he could hear the sincere honesty in her words. "You really think so?"

"There are so few people like you, Benivoli."

Ever since he had told her what his name meant, she insisted it was not right to be called "incomplete". She asked the Archdeacon for the Latin word meaning "friend" and used that ever since.

"Do you think someone I consider beautiful would like to spend time with me?" he wondered in a shy voice.

Eiko blinked in surprise. "Who?"

"E—Esmeralda…" He looked away quickly.

"Do you mean romantically?" she pried. Her voice was not condescending, but very serious and yet kind.

Quasimodo said nothing. He was too embarrassed.

"Sit down." She patted the seat beside her and waited for him to comply. When he did she began, "There are different types of love. The Archdeacon told me two of them easily get mixed up: _philia_ and _eros_…friendship and passionate love. One is not better than the other; they're just different. But so many people get broken hearts because they don't keep a reign on their emotions. Instead of blindly following them wherever they fly, you need to _lead_ them, and do it carefully otherwise—"

The sound of a footfall on the steps leading to Quasimodo's abode caught them both by surprise. Eiko's eyes went wide and she threw the cloak's hood up to cover her horn. Quasimodo himself pulled a board (about as long as a door but not as wide) against the wall so that if it leaned there she could hide in the space underneath.

They looked at each other with terrified expressions just before Eiko dove between the board and wall, and he piled some empty sacks at either end. Moments later Judge Frollo came up, casting his eyes from one corner of the abode to the other with clear disdain.

"I thought I heard some scrambling as I came up. Are you hiding something?"

"N-no, Master," he stammered not very convincingly.

The man's gaze grew cold and he looked at the two stools pushed close together. Then he caught sight of the paper on the table. He snatched it up and inspected the drawings. After a few seconds he put it back, seemingly disappointed.

"I am getting the strangest feeling, Quasimodo, that you are not being entirely honest this evening. Is there something you are not telling me?"

The bell ringer could not keep his eyes completely on his master. For a brief instant they flickered to the board and the judge was there in a flash. He pulled aside the sacks and bent down to look inside.

Quasimodo wrung his hands, realizing Eiko was as good as caught. "I'm sorry, Master! I was so lonely and she was so kind— I w-wanted a friend and— You won't hurt her, will you? Please don't!"

Frollo straightened, more serious than ever. "If you wanted a pet, dear boy, all you had to do was ask." He held a kitten caught by the nape of its neck and looking very bewildered. "I am ashamed of you. But…I suppose if you had this creature you might be a bit more satisfied here in your sanctuary. You may keep it, but no others are allowed."

Quasimodo's shock was fortunately read as surprise at his master's generosity. "Th-thank you… I will always be grateful, a-and so will she."

"Yes well, _she_ is not female so I suggest you find a suitable place for _him_ to sleep."

%*%

Riku shoved the cat through the misty portal. As soon as both animal and doorway were gone, Eiko leaned against the wall of her small room and breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close… I hope Benivoli doesn't think I turned _into_ that cat."

The Keyblade wielder gave a hint of a smile. "You weren't here, so I went to the tower. I looked inside just in time to see you hiding and assumed you would need help."

"And we're even luckier that cat was snoozing on the roof down there." She continued in a giggle, "I wish I could teleport. It would make my life so much easier."

"Too bad. Why do you spend so much time with him anyway?"

The girl turned to him with a bit of consternation. "If you don't get to know the people around you, then half the adventure is lost."

"I suppose everyone's entitled to their own opinion," he commented with a shrug. "Now let's go."

She picked up a paper and wrote a few lines to let the Archdeacon know she would be gone for an indefinite amount of time but she hoped to be back soon. "Where? And why now? I've been here for a month and you've never asked me to leave. What changed?"

"We need to go to Twilight Town. Someone wants to meet you. Don't ask me why."

"Well drat. And I was just getting comfortable here…"

%*%

Three hours later they were in the other world at the edge of town where the forest started. Her friend wanted to stop in the main town itself and check on Sora for a few minutes before they continued on to their destination. He looked at Eiko as they stood there.

"Stay here and don't go anywhere, alright?"

"Sure."

Riku started to step forward then turned back to her. "Right here. Don't leave."

"I've _got_ it. Go see your friend now. Shoo, shoo!" she laughed, waving her hands at him.

The Keyblade wielder cast one last look over his shoulder that said _'I just __know__ you're going to get into trouble without me'_ but he did finally start off through the woods. As soon as he was out of sight Riku put on his blindfold, feeling ashamed as he did so.

Eiko sat down on a curb and watched some of the people walk past. A couple of them gave her strange glances but shrugged and walked on without stopping. No one talked to her. After a minute she yawned and stood up to stretch, but suddenly froze.

A small figure had come out of a nearby alley. He was short and appeared somewhat plump, though that was due more to his baggy clothes than anything else, and he had large shoes which also gave him a duck-like gait. The pointed cap and shadowy visage of his face were unmistakable.

"Vivi…?" Eiko was running toward him in a flash. "Vivi!"

The mage looked over and saw a stranger in a blue cloak headed his way. His natural meekness instantly set in and he scampered off as fast as his big feet could carry him. She was confused but followed, gaining rapidly because of her longer legs.

She turned a corner and nearly ran into a group of teenagers who seemed about her own age, or maybe a little older. Vivi hid behind them, completely winded.

"Seifer, sh-she's chasing m-me!" he piped, pointing a shaking finger at her.

"What's this?" the boy wearing a long, white jacket asked in a lord-like tone. "Are you picking on a member of our gang?"

"What?" Eiko stepped back in surprise. "But that's Vivi. He's my _friend_. We fought together three years ago."

"He doesn' seem ta rec'nize ya, y'know," another boy added.

Indeed, Vivi's glowing eyes were wider than usual and he seemed petrified. Eiko crouched down so that she was his height and pushed back the hood of her cloak. Even if she did look a little different, there was no way he could mistake her summoner's horn.

"It's _me_…Eiko. Don't you remember?"

"Unnatural," the girl with light violet hair commented without any emotion.

Vivi himself shook his head vigorously. "Ay-co? I've never seen you before. Leave me alone!"

She looked so hurt that Seifer told his two other companions to look after Vivi for a moment. He jerked his head toward an indoor café and Eiko followed him almost numbly. She took the seat he pulled out for her and mechanically accepted the iced drink he got at the counter. Her eyes were glued to the black mage who had once been her dear companion.

"I don't understand…"

"Neither did I when I found him."

She turned her attention to him at last. "Found him where?"

"In the woods just outside town. He was wandering around like he was lost. He kept asking for people who didn't live around here. One of the names he mentioned was 'Eiko'."

"So it _is_ him?"

"Almost definitely. At first he talked about his home and friends, but then one day a couple weeks later he couldn't remember one of them. After that he started forgetting the others. Before long he couldn't even remember where he'd come from. Now his life here is all he knows."

The young man seemed sincerely sorry for her, but Eiko was nearly beyond understanding. The only thing she could hear was her heart beating wildly. He was her best friend—Vivi wasn't dead—but all his memories gone—and he was unable to recognize her—

Eiko had no idea she was crying until Seifer handed her a napkin. "It's no use bawling over it. If you want him to remember you, either you'll have to take him back to his home and hope that helps or stick around until it jogs something."

"But he won't want to come with me. You saw how he reacted. And I can't stay because I have my schooling and…"

"Then I guess you only have two other choices: find another way or forget about him."

She wiped her eyes in order to glare at him better. "You're so cold-blooded!"

Seifer folded his arms and leaned back in the chair so that the effect was similar to a parent correcting an unruly child. "No, I'm being realistic. This is _your_ problem. Either you find a way to fix it or you don't. It's as simple as that." He put a coin down on the table and stood up. "For your drink."

As he started away, Eiko called to him and he turned back. "Seifer…is he happy?"

"You joking? That kid's the life of the party." She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but he did look annoyed. "Hey, I don't want Vivi to come whining to me so if you do return, just make sure you have a solution that'll work."

"I'll do what I can."

She watched the gang leave the square from her seat in the café. There was a secret hope in her heart that Vivi would look back, but he didn't.

%*%

Yen Sid asked to see all her keychains and she had wordlessly followed his instructions. As soon as she fitted the last one to her Keyblade she placed it in her lap, and the man grew silent.

Eiko sat on the chair as stiffly as she could. The magician appeared to be studying her and he had said nothing for nearly fifteen minutes. Her muscles screamed for release but she was boiling inside and refused to give in to her weaker desires.

"Well," he said at last, leaning back. "You have proven yourself capable of self-control."

"Thanks for being impressed," the girl replied sarcastically under her breath. She relaxed noticeably although her guard was still up.

"I am surprised you seem so old, child. Your appearance is much different than your aura."

Eiko wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean but it was more than likely connected with her age-jump. What an aura looked like, she had no clue.

"Your potential is evident but your skills are unpolished. You have not been practicing against foes worthy of your talents, thus you have waned instead of waxed."

The summoner's temper started to rise again but she said nothing, only grumbling mentally.

"Why are you so upset, child? You have no reason to be angry with me for making a fair assessment." He observed her a few seconds longer before one white eyebrow lifted in amusement. "I believe you are very troubled by something else and have displaced those feelings on me."

Immediately Eiko looked down at the Keyblade. She knew he was right and couldn't look him squarely in the face. "It's my…my friend. I saw him in Twilight Town, but…he didn't even _know_ me."

The last part came out nearly in a sob, but the man appeared only thoughtful. "You met Vivi, then?"

She blinked the unshed tears from her eyes and stared at him in surprise. "You—you know him?"

"I am responsible for his presence here. Two years ago he found a way to travel from world to world without a gummi ship, but it was very dangerous for both himself and anyone who might accidentally get in his way."

Eiko wondered how Vivi was able to leave Gaia and travel among the worlds, but the way Yen Sid said 'dangerous' made her think he wouldn't elaborate no matter how she asked.

"I found him fairly soon after he began his travels and asked why he was scouring the worlds. His only reply was that he was looking for a way to extend his life. There was too much left undone, he told me. Once I learned of his specific circumstances and studied him, I understood that he could only live ten years on a given world. If he chose to stay in one place, he would live another ten years before he had to leave for a different one. Not an eternal solution, but he would live to seventy or eighty provided he had a natural death."

"Of course… He was so scared of the other black mages dying off—he must have been looking for a way to lengthen their lives," Eiko said, remembering the message he'd left them upon his disappearance. Everyone had taken it as his saying goodbye forever, though there hadn't been a body.

"If that is so he never mentioned it to me, otherwise I would have sent word to your world myself. Once Vivi learned this, I took him here to Twilight Town. But an unintended side-effect of my solution was that his memories faded within a few weeks. In addition, his magic weakened."

Eiko's eyes returned to the Keyblade and she spoke softly, "So…you let him forget everything. And you just assumed it would be best to go find him after he'd lived here ten years and take him somewhere else."

Yen Sid nodded without any trace of regret. "I wanted to do what would be most painless for him."

"Is there any way to help him remember me?"

"If you take him back to your world he might, but his ten years there are over. He would die shortly after arriving."

The girl slumped back, her despair causing the Keyblade to disappear in a flurry of silver light. "I never thought I would see him again and now he's lost to me anyway. It's like he's died twice… Do you think there might be any other way?"

"I am not all-knowing so I cannot say for certain it is impossible, but I can tell you if the way exists it may very well be more than you bargained for."

"If the way exists, I'll find it," she said confidently. Feeling their conversation was done she added, "Are my Keyblade and I the only reason you wanted to see me?"

Yen Sid exhaled slowly saying, "I think we have discussed the most pressing matters. If anything else comes up I will have Riku fetch you again."

"Oh good. I do so love being 'fetched' for others," she said sarcastically but in better humor now that she had some hope.

%*%

"How exactly do you navigate?" Eiko asked as she peered at the gummi ship's collection of dials in front of them.

"It's easy with the machines here. Just look at this dial," he pointed to one, "and it'll tell you how close to a specific world you are. Then you use _these_ to select the quadrant where you want to be. The glowing line on the display is our path and the blinking dot is our ship."

"Where are we now?"

"Between your Gaia and…World XLIII. I think the name is pending until King Mickey sends a team to investigate."

"How—"

A sudden jolt cut their conversation short and Riku nearly fell out of his chair. He stood up and crouched over the panel to study the dials. They were going haywire but he retained a level of calm to keep his companion from panicking.

"We're drifting off-course. Something is pulling us away from the main body of worlds and now we're—" He dropped into a confused silence, glancing back and forth from the instruments to the view in the window. "This can't be right…"

"What is it?" Eiko asked, bracing herself with her chair.

"The readings say we're inside a world but we aren't even over any land. It looks exactly the same as ordinary space… Somehow a black hole has formed and we're being dragged directly into it. That's what is causing the problem. The force pulling on us is going to break the ship apart, so we need to bail. _Now._"

"But—"

"There's a gummi lifeboat over there. I still need to configure the coordinates so that we can reach—"

The ship tilted sideways, throwing both teenagers across the cabin. Eiko fell flat and slid along the floor, but Riku flew headlong toward the wall. She looked up an instant later and saw him lying there, not moving. He didn't respond when she called his name and she made her way over to him, crawling.

The ship shuddered again and she quickly grabbed his arm, dragging him to the doorway he'd indicated only seconds before. She mashed her hand against a button and the door slid open. Eiko shoved Riku into the lifeboat, but then looked back at the cockpit with horror.

Her stones! Where were they? She raced back, feeling another bump as the ship was struck again by debris. She suddenly caught sight of the elusive bag snagged on one of the control panel's levers. The summoner staggered over and seized them, praying none had fallen out. Then on her way back she finally noticed the countdown.

She saw it just as the timer went from 1 to 0, then the sliding door shut and there were the sounds of the lifeboat being ejected. Eiko stared in shock at the ship she was now trapped inside.

She was alone.

Another flying meteor brought her out of temporary paralysis and she dug into the pouch. The amethyst came to hand and she shouted, "Atomos, transport the ship someplace safe!"

**I hope I wasn't the only one who felt Vivi in KHII was hiding some real firepower under that clumsy exterior. In some ways he's like Quasimodo, which is why I had Eiko be so friendly with him. Too bad they didn't get to finish their conversation.**


	19. 2 New Surroundings

**Chapter 2: New Surroundings**

Riku raised a hand to his throbbing head and cracked open an eye. The dim light felt unbearable and he slid the blindfold out of his pocket, though he didn't put it on just yet. He appeared to be inside a creaking ship, large enough to be a galleon perhaps. There were footfalls above him so he must be in the crew's berths, directly below the deck.

But…there was just something oddly missing… If this really was a ship, why couldn't he hear waves crashing up against the sides? His head hurt more than ever and he wondered where Eiko had gone. Probably sightseeing.

He stumbled to his feet, feeling more than using his eyes to find his way around the room. The exit was just ahead and he rushed through without pausing.

The glare from an ocean of stars overwhelmed him and he staggered back shielding his face. Riku recoiled from the pain and quickly tied the strip of cloth over his eyes as he returned to the shelter below. Some minutes later a person approached.

A teenage boy with brown hair and a long-suffering attitude balked when he saw Riku standing a few feet from the entrance, apparently blind.

"Uh… You hungry? You've been asleep ever since you were brought onboard. I checked on you every couple hours."

Riku turned his head toward him, trying to sense whether this person was trustable or not, but he said nothing in reply.

"Are you deaf or something?" the kid demanded. "If you're looking for pity, don't! Nobody on this ship will give it to you. Your sob-story probably isn't much different from most of the ones I hear."

"Riku."

"Huh?"

"That's my name."

"Oh, uh…" the other rubbed the back of his neck with slight embarrassment. "I'm Jim Hawkins."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"We're on a voyage and came across your drifting ship yesterday after we escaped from a black hole. The captain ordered it searched and you're lucky she did. It didn't look like it could have carried you anywhere and there were no supplies. So now you're on board the R.L.S. Legacy."

Riku raised his head a bit, trying to locate Eiko. He could easily sense many people, but their emotions were all secretive, which confused his senses.

"Where's Eiko?"

Jim's brow furrowed. "Who?"

"There wasn't a girl with me?"

"No."

The Keyblade wielder went quiet. If she didn't get away then where was she? Could the ship have gotten pulled into the black hole with her inside? No. He knew she was alive out there. The problem was how to find her, or vice versa.

%*%

"I asked for your _whole_ name, young man, not the informal name your friends and pets use to identify you."

Captain Amelia peered at Riku with slitted eyes. If he had been able to see her straight on, they would probably have glared at one another. There was a sophisticated arrogance about her that nearly made him want to provoke her.

"My hometown is small enough that we don't need more names than one. Our islands are—"

She interrupted him, "A concise answer such as 'I have no other' will do nicely. If I desire an explanation of the cultural oddities which you apparently were raised with, I will ask for it. You will keep your tongue rooted firmly to the bottom of your mouth unless I require a response. Do we understand each other?"

Riku inclined his head slightly. "Perfectly, Ma'am."

"Now then," she said, straightening her uniform. "In brief, can you describe the circumstances leading to your current situation as a castaway?"

"Our ship was caught in the black hole. I was rendered unconscious and my friend must have placed me in the lifeboat. You found me."

"_That_ much I ascertained on my own, young sir. How did you come to be out this far into the very thickest part of the unknown galaxy? I received no warning of your ship on our radar, and we can detect anyone within two hundred miles—and you could not have traveled by hyperdrive or we would have noticed the energy spike."

"The black hole must have transported me here from some other place. I know I was in familiar territory before that."

"And what is 'familiar territory' to you?" the cat asked.

Riku paused before thinking of an answer. "Just the area around my homeworld, Destiny Islands."

She stood up and walked over to stand in front of the windows facing the dark universe. "There is much about you that defies logic. Even the most amateur of pilots know the name of their galaxy and sector in addition to planet, but you have no idea what the simplest protocol is. Unfortunately I have much more to do than analyze the mystery of your presence. When I have time I will spend it on you, but in the meantime you will make yourself useful with Mr. Hawkins. Dismissed."

Riku grimaced and left, being careful to feel his way through the door. It would be better if everyone on board thought him really blind. Outside the door a doglike person was sitting and scribbling in a book. He looked up as Riku came out and nearly jumped to his feet.

"Oh good! Young man, my name is Doctor Delbert Doppler. I am a scholar of sorts and when you were rescued yesterday I took the liberty of observing your lifeboat. Perhaps you could tell me what sort of ship you were in?"

Riku knew the dangers of revealing the truth. Telling him anything could complicate matters for the King and the other worlds. These people already had space vessels, and if gummi technology got into the wrong hands, there could be chaos among all the other worlds.

"I'm sorry. It isn't my ship and I can't help you."

"Ah, but—" the man ran after him as Riku walked along the railing. "I have a conundrum of sorts you might be able to help me understand. You see, recently I had the privilege to see a map of our entire universe. The one thing that confused me is the fact that the map showed a round universe with limits."

The teenager continued to make his way toward the galley, but he was listening attentively.

"Now, I have heard rumors of the edges of space where a ship sails one direction and suddenly finds itself going back the way it came without turning around. Just stories, I thought, but there are other stories about a substance that can pass through the barrier and go on to more worlds beyond our own universe."

Riku suddenly put everything together. This wasn't just one world—it was a collection of galaxies, larger than any one single world and yet contained like them, only on a different scale. And somehow he had gotten pulled into it.

"I've never heard those stories. Sounds like rubbish to me."

The doctor deflated and stopped following, obviously disappointed that the subject of his interrogation wasn't going to be cooperative. But he wasn't exactly a pushy person and allowed Riku to slip away, hoping maybe if he gave the boy more room he might reconsider.

Jim was mopping between the tables in the galley and looked over when Riku came down the stairs. "So how did it go with the dragon-lady?"

"Is there a reason she's so _moody?_" he wondered irritably.

"Yeah," Jim said in a much more somber voice. "During the black hole her First Mate was lost. They were good friends."

"Well fine, but she doesn't have to take it out on me. My friend is missing too but I didn't throw my weight around and try to make her feel that she owed me something for the loss."

Jim tried not to grin but the irate tone in Riku's voice was just too funny. It reminded him of the way the captain treated him at the beginning of the voyage. "What did she tell you to do?"

"Something about 'making yourself useful with Mr. Hawkins.' I hope that means you. Is there another Hawkins around here?"

"Oi!" said a loud voice with a thick accent from the kitchen. "D'ye mean 'er ladyship told ye ta pay us visits nicelike 'r help wi' th' chores? Cuz I've got a slew o' work an' th' boy 'ere's slower'n th' prawns on Zarathustra."

The sound of gears and metal came to Riku's ears and he realized the person in the back had a mechanical limb or two. He sensed a guarded warmth from Jim, as though he liked the man and didn't want to admit it. But there was something very secretive about that man…

"That's Silver, the cook. You're probably starving to death on your feet. Hey Silver, Riku needs something to eat!"

"Does 'e now? Well, I'll fix somethin' up quicker'n you c'n blink."

As he ate Riku wondered if he would ever be able to get away from these people, find Eiko and get back home. So far it looked like he would be a galley slave until things changed.

%*%

A couple days later the Keyblade wielder was just about ready to punch Dr. Doppler if he came in arm's-reach. The guy simply never gave up! At least eight times he had brought up the same thing in different ways, but it was always about prying into the gummi lifeboat tied up in the bay. At least the Keyblade was still a secret, otherwise he would never be able to escape.

The rest of the crew ignored him the way they would ignore a bug they weren't allowed to crush—which meant he could feel their glares on his back most of the time. He made sure to exaggerate the effects of his 'blindness' more in their presence. If they thought he was helpless they would be less likely to view him as a threat.

Jim sat alone in the galley scrubbing some pots when the stranger in his black cloak appeared. He was so quiet that the cabin boy didn't even notice him until he sat down and picked up a brush to help scrub.

"Uh…thanks. Is there a reason you're joining me?"

"Someone recently told me if I don't get to know the people I'm around, half the adventure is lost. Where are you from?"

Jim hesitantly told Riku about his home and mother. He mentioned his hobbies and offhandedly added the fact that he got into trouble occasionally, which hardly bothered him. Riku was wise enough not to ask about the gaping hole in the story regarding Jim's father. He didn't even pry about the 'trouble'.

When the tables turned and Riku started describing his home, Jim couldn't help feeling as though the other boy was just like himself. The only difference was that Riku missed his family and friends. Jim didn't so much miss his mother as wish he hadn't left her with a burnt-down business, living on nothing but charity of the neighbors.

"Destiny Islands… What planet is that on?"

"It _is_ the planet. And if there's one mistake I ever made, it was not being happy there when I should have been happiest…"

"And if there's one mistake I ever made…" Jim trailed off, his eyes staring blankly at the pot in his hands. "Why do things happen that we can't change? I mean…of all the things that _could_ have happened on this voyage, why did _that_ happen and why did it have to be _my_ fault?"

Riku had overheard the whispers and accusations so he knew Jim was referring to the loss of the First Mate. For some reason as he sat there, he got the feeling if Eiko had been with them at that moment she would have the answer. But she wasn't.

"All I can say is there must be a reason. Whether or not it's your fault, it's in the past. I've done plenty of things I regret…and I'm sure I'll do more of them in the future. But we have to move on."

Jim turned to him with a skeptical grin. "You're not very good at pep-talks, are you?"

"Sorry. It's never been my strong suit."

"I know you were trying to help, so it didn't stink _that_ bad." Still, Jim breathed a heavy sigh and his heavy heart didn't seem to have been lifted much at all.

"Come on. You'll feel better if we go up on deck. The constellation of Apollo is twisted from this angle and it looks like a skull."

"You saw it?"

"No. One of the crew said that to his pals while I was passing by. I assumed he was right."

Jim started to walk toward the exit, but Riku went suddenly stiff beside him. There were voices nearby coming closer and sounding disgruntled. That in itself was hardly noteworthy, but the young man also detected the faint whiff of darkness that preceded a portal of darkness.

Before Jim knew what was going on, Riku grabbed his arm and threw him headlong into the mostly-empty barrel of perps. A second later he jumped in too and cut Jim's protest short by gripping him by the shoulder and putting a finger to his own lips, indicating instant silence.

The voices had grown louder by this time and the cabin boy could make out their words more easily despite the atrocious grammar and thick, oily accents. One of them spoke louder than the others.

"It's been too long already! Are we going to move or not?"

"_I_ call the shots, you lily-livered half-wits!"

Jim flinched at the sound of that voice and Riku knew why. This person—obviously the leader—had a voice too similar to Silver's to be anyone else's.

"Oh really?" a high feminine voice slid in.

It was Riku's turn to flinch. It could only be Larxene. He hadn't met her, but Mickey mentioned she was the only member of the Organization who wasn't a man. Apparently she had been hiding in the shadows after her arrival because there was a collective response that showed no one knew she was there.

"Now, yer Ladyship, I've been enforcing discipline on this lot t'make sure they don' kill another crewmember loyal to th' captain."

Jim's eyes widened further and he shot a silent glance at Riku. The Keyblade wielder could feel the pain and shock as well as the anger in his companion. The only crewmember who had died was First Mate Arrow and that meant…

Larxene's voice sounded unconcerned. "As long as that map of yours works, I don't see any problem with such behavior. Can you still get your hands on it?"

"Not yet. It's in th' captain's cabin locked 'way."

"Get it. No excuses, Silver. I don't like waiting and it's been weeks already. I'm getting impatient."

"Well, where 'ave you been all that time?" a different voice piped up. "We've been toilin' away 'neath th' whip o' that fiend while you pop in an' out whene'er you please! Never stay long 'cept to give us orders we don' need an'—"

The speaker was cut off by a gurgling noise as his throat was suddenly sliced wide open. She flicked her hand and the bloodied knife vanished. When the sounds of her dying victim ceased, the Nobody spoke as though nothing had happened.

"I do not like waiting. I do not like whiners. I do not like lazy men. And I _especially_ do not like waiting while whining men accuse me of laziness." She took a few steps into the crowd, which shrank away from her, with the exception of Silver. "But I like watching things squirm before they die. I'll be back soon. You know how to signal me if anything should happen."

Riku sensed a hole of darkness and then the group seemed to begin breathing again all at once.

"What sort of deal did you make with her, Silver?"

"She killed Grubb!"

"Get out of it! She's bad news!"

Silver's booming voice interrupted all comments as he shouted, "Shaddup, ya mindless pack o' flea-bitten whale-wallopers! Th' next one who spits out another unkind word 'bout me partner'll be washin' the galley floor wi' their innards alongside Grubb! Any last words?"

Silenced greeted the question and Silver made a dismissive noise. The crew dispersed except for three he ordered to clean up the mess. Once they had hauled off the body the cook continued to remain where he was as though waiting.

Riku and Jim sat on top of the squishy fruits without saying a word. They couldn't move and they couldn't communicate. What to do?

**You may notice I left out Scroop and Morph. They were just extra baggage I couldn't fit in without throwing off the story I wanted. Morph was actually a little cute, but he just kept getting in my way whenever I tried to work on the main plot.**


	20. 3 Rough Landing

**Chapter 3: Rough Landing**

As they sat inside the barrel wondering how they could possibly get out of the situation, Riku lifted his head. Larxene had returned. Her green eyes stared distastefully up the steps after the motley group of aliens.

"Why do you put up with them?"

"They serve their purpose."

"I prefer Nobodies and Heartless. They don't talk back and there are more of them."

"That particular luxury is yer pow'r alone, Milady. These gents is only fer the sake o' appearances. Ye canna say yer Heartless and Nobodies pull that off."

She folded her arms and walked stiffly toward the barrel which currently had more than the dregs of the ship's perp supply. "Can you really get the map from that boy once you land on the planet?"

"As far's I know, he's th' only one who knows 'ow it works. Wouldn' want ta lose a valuable player too soon."

"If a mere boy can figure it out, so can anyone else. Or do you want him alive for some sentimental reason?" she asked, the challenging tone unmistakable.

"Me, sent'mental?" Silver laughed. "If ye wan' me ta gut 'im, I'll do it quick as ye c'n think. Wha' do I care if 'e lives 'r dies? All I care 'bout's th' treasure, an' tha's all! _But_ if he c'n make th' road any easier fer us, I'll take it."

Larxene shrugged, making a disinterested noise. "Perhaps. The object is worth nothing if we can't find it."

Riku listened harder, if that was possible, and detected a note of secrecy in their tones.

" 'Ow d'ye know it's there?"

"Call it female intuition."

Silver shook his head, the mechanical arm waving as if swatting away flies. "Don' gimme that! Y'knew it was there from th' start. That treasure hasn' been touched since Flint 'imself vanished off th' face o' the 'verse a hunnerd years ago. That means someone told ye 'bout it, but no one knows th' kind o' details you know without havin' been there or…"

The cyborg trailed off as he read Larxene's expression. The hardness in her eyes and the mocking laughter that she aimed his way seemed to answer his unspoken proposal.

"Oh my. I never expected a _pirate_ to figure it out, of all people."

"Milady," he bowed, "if it's true then th' whole trove belongs t'you. May I ask th' name o' yer ancestor?"

"My grandmother's name was Kylara the Bloodthirsty, one of the few humans on Flint's crew and only one of four survivors." She waved her hand casually. "Keep the treasure. Once I have what I came for I couldn't care less what happens to the rest. Take it and do whatever pirates do."

At that moment there came a zealous call outside. The planet had been sighted.

"I assume ye'll be nearby, Milady. If ye'll 'scuse me I have some oglin' t'do."

The boys heard Larxene give a noncommittal noise and the uneven tromp of the pirate's footsteps as he left to go topside. There was an acrid smell as the Nobody's portal opened a third time, then faded. Jim practically threw himself out of the barrel, Silver's betrayal more painful than anything else that had ever happened in his life. Riku tried to grab his arm but he pulled free and slid over the side.

"It can't be. Silver's my…" He put one hand to his forehead in disbelief, the beginning of acceptance. When he looked up again there was a blond woman with a gloating expression standing right in front of him.

He stumbled back but she seized the front of his shirt and lifted him up as if he weighed nothing at all.

"I thought I smelled something hiding around here. A rat in the galley. Hm. Not entirely surprising." Her green eyes bored into his and Jim struggled to get out of her vice-like grip. "Men are so weak," she said with a sneer. Her hold tightened until he choked for breath.

Suddenly there was a clang and she dropped him where he fell to the floor, coughing for breath. Larxene held her right arm as if it pained her but there was only seething anger in her expression.

"Blindfold, silver hair, black coat, and a Keyblade. You must be that 'Riku' the Organization has been whining about for the past few months. Personally I can't thank you enough for ridding me of those misfits. Certainly saved me the trouble of killing them myself."

"I am not going to chat with you. Leave now or I will have to kill you."

Her green eyes narrowed. "I do not take threats well."

Riku called to the Darkness and it came more easily this time.

The cabin boy looked up to see his companion looking wholly changed. Gone were the black cloak and blindfold. Riku's green eyes blazed with rage and Way to the Dawn glinted in his hands. His outfit could only be described as…_wicked?_

Even though he knew the other was not as helpless as he appeared, Jim felt for the first time that he was actually scared of his friend. But even as he sat on the floor thinking those thoughts, he realized he had to get somewhere else. He used Larxene's distraction to slip underneath a table and hide between the benches. There was no way he could help and he was more likely to get in the way.

Larxene stood facing him, her arms crossed and her Foudre between her fingers—making them appear very much like long claws.

Almost before he could think Riku was defending himself against her brutal assault. The weapons slid against each other, creating sparks and revealing the glee on the woman's face.

Then she vanished. The Keyblade wielder flipped into the air, swiping his weapon in a full circle to deflect the glowing knives that seemed to come out of nowhere. Then she was there in front of him, jabbing with such quick strokes that he could only leap backward. But in the middle of his retreat she teleported to his left and one high-heeled boot swung into his face with hard impact.

Riku flew back but landed on his feet, leaning forward with one hand on the floor to steady himself and his Keyblade held out to the side at the ready. The Nobody sent streaks of lightning at him. His blade not only blocked the magic but managed to reflect it back. She held up her fists and the lightning absorbed into the throwing daggers with sizzling energy. An unfriendly smile bloomed on her face.

"I'd better not kill you just yet. I'll save that for later when I take what I need from you." She opened a portal once more, but as she stepped into it she looked back with a wily expression. "…But don't think I'll be so kind to those useless creatures you've undoubtedly befriended on this vessel."

The darkness was just starting to dissipate when footsteps came their direction. Silver looked in and stared about, a little confused. "I coulda sworn there was noise comin' from down 'ere, an' I know—"

He cut off as Riku turned to face him, still under the effects of his Darkness. The cook seemed to absorb everything in a moment, including the wafting tendrils from Larxene's portal.

"Hmm, seems there's somethin' dif'rent 'bout ye, boy," the man said, hiding his mechanical arm behind his back so that he could pull a weapon out of its hidden slot.

Jim was beneath the table nearest him, though, and saw the movement. A paring knife had fallen to the floor during the fight and he seized it. All the anger he'd built up over the last few minutes for the one person he'd come to trust on this voyage suddenly exploded.

He burst out from beneath the table and jammed the knife into Silver's leg-motor. The contraption hissed and spasmed uncontrollably, dragging the man down to the floor. He let out a half-yell as he tried to regain his feet but stopped as he saw Jim standing over him with an expression of such hatred that for a moment he was in shock.

"Jimbo, you—"

"That's for all your dirty lies!" Jim shouted.

Silver's good eye hardened but before he could even open his mouth to retort, there was the flash of a black cloak and both boys were gone. He heaved himself up the stairs, his cyborg eye scanning the deck for the miscreants until he caught sight of them bursting into the captain's cabin.

With a roar he called to his comrades. The time for mutiny was at hand.

%*%

Riku tore himself away from the leeching Darkness at the same time that he grabbed Jim and practically flew up to the deck. The majority of aliens (bulging and oversized, slimy and many-eyed) were too busy looking at the planet below to pay any attention as the boys ran past. They made their way to Captain Amelia and blurted out the news.

Dr. Doppler (who for some strange reason was there already and standing beside her by the windows) nearly lost his composure. The only reason he didn't start whimpering was because the captain glared warningly at him.

She opened a safe and pulled out a golden sphere, passing it to Jim and telling him to take good care of it. He put it into his pocket and then looked back at the entrance when he smelled melting metal.

"Captain, there's no time!"

She aimed her pistol at the floor and opened a new passage below deck. "Everybody through!"

No one bandied words and seconds later they were headed for the bay. Sounds from behind revealed that their exit had been discovered. The pursuit was gaining quickly.

Captain Amelia closed a door and used her gun's laser to fry the opening mechanism while at the same time quipping out orders. "Hawkins, prepare that ship; Doppler, stop mishandling that weapon and get aboard; Riku, try to disable the other ship."

Riku only had time to smash part of the engine before he heard the door give way. He leaped into the boat just as the bay's gate stopped opening and then began sliding shut.

"The cables!" the cat-like alien shouted as she took aim.

The Keyblade sliced cleanly through the wires at the front of the boat and the gun fired, severing the back ones. An instant later they were falling through the base of the R.L.S. Legacy.

The solarsail flared open, gathering energy, and they were able to take control of their flight. The captain steered them in a weaving path to keep anyone on the ship from getting a clear shot. They were all beginning to think the worst was over.

Jim couldn't help thinking about his last sight of Silver: the pirate looked at him, gun barrel raised…but hadn't fired. He forgot that a second later as the air in front of him began to swirl with darkness. Larxene was suddenly in the boat with them and as the black cloud of her portal vanished, she grabbed Jim by his throat.

"We meet again. Let me give you my condolences for your deaths _now_."

Three daggers appeared in her hand and she threw them at the sail. The tethers snapped and the ship lost altitude quickly, but just as Larxene began to laugh maniacally, Riku plowed into her. Jim managed to catch hold of the side, but the other two were carried out into the empty air over the planet.

Larxene kicked him in the stomach and they flew away from one another. Riku called to the Darkness and fell through his own portal into the skiff.

Of course he hadn't expected the boat to be spinning out of control. Without the solarsail, the engine's voltage was reduced to the absolute minimum and they had no choice but to steer as best they could as the failing ship lost altitude at much too high a rate.

Tall, mushroom-like plants coated the world below and Riku didn't realize that they were headed into a cluster of these until they impacted. The jolt nearly threw him off, but the captain pulled him down just before they crashed completely.

They skidded to a stop, upside-down on the squashy ground. The Keyblade wielder groaned and tried to sit up, but he was pinned beneath the boat, though not hurt much. Beside him he heard Captain Amelia give a sharp intake of breath and he knew she had suffered much worse injuries.

Dr. Doppler and Jim had been thrown clear and they heaved the small ship off their comrades. Riku staggered up, but Amelia stayed where she was, unable to regain her feet.

"Captain, are you alright? Talk to me," Doppler implored.

"Contrary to popular belief, cats don't _always_ land on their feet," she said trying to make light of her situation, but the unintentional wincing in her tone was obvious. "It's only a scratch. I just need a bit of rest to recover. We need to—ah!"

Doppler pushed her gently back against the stalk of a giant mushroom. "Stay still. We don't know whether you have any internal damage or not."

"But we need to make preparations," she insisted. "Where is the map?"

Jim reached into his back pocket and the expression on his face said it was missing. "I had it, I _know_ I did. Maybe it fell out." He looked around the small area and found it almost immediately. Or at least what was left of it. "Oh man…"

The map had been crushed during the landing and just by looking at it, one could tell it would never be a perfect sphere again. It was almost unrecognizable.

"What do we do now?" Jim wondered hopelessly.

"Pick up the pieces," the captain ordered smartly, snapping Jim out of his lethargy. "There still might be some way to put them together. Just now I'm more concerned about your involvement in all this."

Riku knew it was directed at him.

"What are you fighting for? Why did you ally yourself with us?"

He answered, "If Larxene had been on your side, I wouldn't have."

"Who is she?" Doppler wondered.

"Someone who doesn't associate with anyone else unless it furthers her goals. She'll stab those pirates in the back the moment she gets what she wants, and she won't think twice about slashing our throats, as I'm sure Jim has figured out."

"Are you here to stop her?"

"I'm not here by my own choice, but since I _am_ here I'll do what I can."

"Aren't you going to tell us anything about yourself?" the former cabin boy asked in an exasperated tone.

"Not unless I have to."

Jim was seriously upset about the map, Silver's betrayal, and Larxene's attempt on his life, so Riku's intentional mysteriousness was like pouring lemon juice on a paper cut. He opened his mouth to let him have it when Riku threw his hand up in warning, then disappeared into the fungus-like undergrowth without a sound.

The others waited for a few moments, not sure what he had sensed but almost certain it was dangerous. A loud creaking clatter arose from the far left and a series of yelps revealed something of their visitor's character. An instant later Riku reappeared holding a terrified robot by the back of its neck. Everything about it was scrawny and rusted…and whiny.

"Hey hey hey! Watch the bolts, buddy. What'd I ever do to you?"

The Keyblade Wielder released his hold and the robot half-collapsed. It continued to whine as the others looked on with a fair amount of confusion, which was rapidly turning to annoyance. Suddenly it looked around and brightened.

"More people!"

"Who are you?" Jim asked as he tried to avoid the robot's unexpected embrace (far more familiarity than the circumstances warranted).

"My name… Just a sec, I'll remember… It's on the tip of my tongue, I swear. Oh yeah, B.E.N.! I'm a bio-electronic navigator, model forty-three. Wow, my friend's going to be so happy to see new people!" He shot a dark look Riku's way. "Except for you."

The doctor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Model forty-three… That would make you more than one hundred and fifty years old."

Jim leaned toward him and muttered under his breath, "And if he's been here for that long I get the feeling his 'friend' is a beach ball with a face drawn on it. Captain, do you think we can trust—"

"_Captain?_ Run for cover everybody! Aaaaaaahhh!" B.E.N. dove for a slimy cone-like plant and hid behind it, his metal limbs shaking so hard that they rattled loudly.

Catain Amelia, still leaning against the gigantic mushroom's stalk, caught on first. "B.E.N., are you referring to Captain Flint?"

The robot's wide eyes peered at her from the other side of the plant. "Ssshh! If he catches us he'll kill us, especially after he killed evvveryonnnne elllllse."

The stutter was accompanied by sparks from the wires hanging out the back of his head, but Jim ignored it as he tried to work out what he was hearing. "Are you saying Flint is still alive even though it's been over a hundred years since he was last seen?"

B.E.N. poked his head out from the hiding place and began to tick off numbers on his hands. When he ran out of fingers he shrugged. "Yeah, I guess it would be nuts to think he could still be around after that long."

"But you knew him?"

"Of course. My prrrrimary function was t-t-to ensure accurate transition for th-th-th-the mechanism's travvvvvvvv—" During his attempt at the explanation the wires started sparking again and his eyes began to lose what little focus they'd had. He was trapped in a circuit of Vs, apparently unable to stop himself.

"Someone do something about him," Amelia snapped.

Jim gave the robot a good whack to the head and a second later B.E.N. looked around and cried, "More people!"

"Can you tell us where Flint's treasure is?"

"Funny you should bring that up. My friend has been bugging me about it forever. It's not like I remember much, though. See?" He pointed to the loose wires that had been giving him trouble a minute earlier. "I don't know how I lost it but—"

"As charming as this conversation is," the captain interrupted, "we have more important things to deal with. You, B.E.N., go back wherever you came from and keep out of sight."

"Fine," B.E.N. muttered, almost heartbroken. "I know where I'm not wanted…"

"Good. Now get going." She wasn't going to fall for a pity routine.

While she gave orders to Jim and Riku to start scouting the area, the robot slunk away. But before Amelia could do more than hand her gun to Jim there came a joyous noise from the direction B.E.N. had gone, followed by laser fire. Seconds later the robot came shooting back to their group and fastened himself to Jim, so terrified that he refused to let go.

Riku's blade appeared and he started toward the approaching gang of pirates when the woman with black high-heels stepped into the clearing. "Didn't take us long to track you down, now did it? And we found someone else loitering about when we landed."

Larxene pulled someone out of the brush behind her and shoved them forward. Riku was stunned to recognize her purple outfit and the horn in the center of her forehead.

**I was trying to figure out why some Disney movies bored me to tears while others I was easily able to watch all the way through to the end. It all has to do with the rising action and the climax. Which do you think did the best job?**

_**My Answer: Just to pick one, I'd say Little Mermaid. The wedding scene was great at tricking the viewers into thinking everything would turn out fine, but then the sun went down and it looked like all hopes were dashed. In addition to that, once King Triton gave himself up for Ariel there was even less hope of success, then both she and Eric were separated and Ursula went huge, using power to control the weather and ocean. Talk about a stacked deck! The fact Eric was able to kill her is miraculous, but somehow Disney pulled it off well.**_


	21. 4 Doors Can Have More Than One Key

**Chapter 4: Doors Can Have More Than One Key**

"Riku!" the girl cried as she set eyes on her friend. A pirate yanked her up from the ground and gave a threatening growl to keep her quiet. She took the hint but couldn't help scowling back.

Silver emerged from the mossy undergrowth and beckoned with his mechanical hand at the group of pirates behind him. "Search 'em all. One's gotta have that map."

Riku's Keyblade had evaporated at Eiko's surprising appearance and he allowed himself to be examined. Jim started back but Silver cautioned him.

"I wouldn' try anything that could get yerself killed, cabin boy."

The pirate patted Jim down and crowed in triumph when he found something in his pocket, but the cry quickly turned to shock as it was revealed to be only scrap metal. Larxene's face clouded over, her bright green eyes growing so malevolent that the other pirates backed away from her even farther.

"Kill them all," she ground out. "_Now_."

Silver was still half-stunned by the realization that their only way to find the treasure was destroyed. "But Miss, maybe we can fix—"

"Do what I say!" she shouted, turning and striding back the way she had come.

Eiko had been thinking hard about what she could do and now was the only opportunity to speak. "What if there is another way to find it?"

Larxene spun back around. If anything, her eyes were colder than before. "Is there one?"

"At least if you follow my suggestion you stand a better chance of finding the treasure."

She swept over to where two pirates were restraining Riku and put a knife to his throat. "Tell me or your companion dies."

Eiko didn't even flinch. "Do you really think I'm that stupid? Not only do I think Riku could take care of himself, but if you _did_ manage to kill him then you would lose any incentive for me to cooperate."

Larxene's brow lifted slightly and the knife disappeared with a sizzle of electricity. "Hmph. At least one of these losers isn't a complete idiot." She refocused on Eiko. "Alright, fine. How do we find it?"

Eiko pointed to the ground. "It's hard to see because of all the growth but this entire place is full of deep grooves. They're made into a pattern that converges at a single point less than ten miles from here. Of course once we get there we still need a key to open it."

She indicated the Keyblade wielder and Larxene gave a sharp nod. "Silver, leave half your men here with the captain, her pet, the pile of junk and that boy. The other two come with us."

Riku shot a worried glance back at his companions, but only Dr. Doppler seemed alarmed. B.E.N. was intrigued by the nose ring on the pirate holding him, Captain Amelia simply gazed dispassionately ahead, and Jim's glare was fixed on Silver.

Once the party was divided up, they were led to the ship the pirates used to reach the surface of the planet. The engine had been patched back into usefulness and Riku regretted not having destroyed it entirely when he had the chance.

"Head that way until we come to a straight cliff," Eiko told the pirate beside the rudder.

The ship rose above the trees veering to the left as Larxene stood with arms folded near the front. Riku leaned forward to talk with his friend in low tones while their captors were distracted.

"How did you get here?"

"Atomos transported me just above the planet but I lost control of the Gummi ship and crashed."

"Why didn't you try to leave?"

"I can't summon any of my eidolons for some reason," she said with more than a hint of distress. "I've been trying, but they won't come. I think there's something about this place that keeps them from hearing me because I can still use magic just fine."

Riku looked around at the aliens and whispered, "How did you find out about the treasure or even where it is?"

"B.E.N."

"Seriously?"

The girl gave a long-suffering expression that was more humorous than sincere. "It took forever but he has enough memory left that if I asked the right questions he could give me clues. Chances are I would have found it by myself if that witch hadn't spotted me."

Their longboat banked as they reached the edge of the giant mushroom forest and came to the precipice just beyond it. The cliff was unnaturally straight with no traces of erosion chipping away at the earth. Eiko leaned over the side and seemed to be comparing some of the lines below to a mental map. After a moment she pointed.

"That way, but go slowly. We're not far."

It didn't take long to find the spot. The pirates lowered the ship so that it hovered a foot above the ground and then lashed it securely to a thick root that bulged upward, sporting a sickly growth of gray and green fungus. The root followed one of the deeper grooves until it diverted into a small circle. Eiko traced it to the very center where a round impression had been made.

The Nobody stared at her with an air of impatient disgust. "Is this your climax?"

"B.E.N. told me the door could only be opened with the gold sphere, but there's more than one way to pick a lock. Riku, care to do the honors?"

He jerked his head at the rope keeping his hands tightly bound. "A bit difficult in this position."

Larxene permitted one pirate to untie him, but the alien kept firm hold of one arm as he did so. The Keyblade was instantly there and a shaft of brilliant light touched the center of the circle.

With a shudder the landscape responded, waves of energy traveling along the surface through veins that crisscrossed the world. It all gathered at the point directly in front of them and within moments a triangular doorway materialized. Through it they could see a parched desert dotted with spindly scrub.

Silver inspected the spherical hologram that had appeared at the same time.

"This mus' be th' nav'gation." He selected a different world with his finger and the area beyond the triangle changed to a swampy place filled with creatures that could best be compared to flame-colored crocodiles, each with a sinewy neck and fins along their sides draped with slime. "But where's th' treasure?"

Larxene shoved him aside. "Sometimes the most complicated answer is right under your nose." She selected the very world they were on and the scene changed to that of an underground cavern lit by some unseen source. The Nobody held up her hand warningly. "No one enter until I say."

She walked through the electric field and looked down. An instant later lightning shot from her fingers, frying something near her feet. Larxene crooked one finger at her companions and they followed, dragging Eiko and Riku along.

"She always told me Flint had an irritating habit of being far too possessive of things he had no claim on," the woman said to herself. Then to Silver, "We can take as long as we like now that his farewell gift is disarmed. I'll watch those two while the rest of you look."

"Yes'm." The pirate gave a quick bow before ambling off with his cronies into the hills of gold and jewels making up Captain Flint's treasure trove.

The Nobody and her prisoners approached the gargantuan mass of wealth. The glitter would have turned most people into gibbering hoarders but these three (though impressed by the sheer amount at their feet) were not interested in it for various reasons.

Larxene looked at them shrewdly. "I'm surprised neither of you has given me any trouble, to be honest. I was looking forward to kicking the snot out of someone but you've given me no motivation."

But Eiko's mind was still on the mechanism. "Riku, who do you think could have built this place? It's a teleporter that doesn't use magic at all and you can go anywhere on that map out there."

Before he could make his own comment Larxene interposed herself in their conversation. "You mean you don't know? Hmph! The Krell built it in an attempt to leave and explore the worlds beyond the Border. They knew other places existed because they could see more stars—they simply couldn't reach them."

"Did they succeed? Were they able to see the worlds where we come from?"

"They all died." The offhanded answer spoken with such callousness sent chills chasing each other down Eiko's spine. "They left in a single migration using ships that were not made from Gummi."

Riku couldn't help scoffing a little. "And how do you know about this?"

"Simple. Flint was the only member of their race who remained behind. He always had a penchant for blood and vice. So did my grandmother, one of his most trusted lieutenants. She weaseled the truth out of him then used the teleporter to escape in a Gummi ship before he could kill her."

Larxene's voice betrayed no emotion for the story other than cool disdain.

One of the aliens returned holding something with two of his six hands. Riku couldn't help noticing with some amusement that there were gold necklaces draped over the creature's head and every pocket bulged with jewels.

But the thing he had brought to Larxene was a…spider web? It looked delicate, each strand thinner than wire and sparkling with a myriad of colors as it shifted in the light. Although one would expect it to snap under the slightest amount of pressure, the Nobody took it roughly by the edge of its black, hexagonal frame. A musical thrumming sang in response, the center vibrating so that the symbol there was difficult to see clearly.

"Is it an instrument?" the Summoner wondered, listening to the scattered notes just beginning to fade. The pirate had already dashed back to his looting so that the three of them were alone once more.

Larxene glanced up with something of a leer. "If it was, I wouldn't have risked my life coming after it. But I'll definitely show you what it does."

Before either of them could catch the full meaning of her words she had raised the object and ran one finger from the front to the back like a harp as she stared fixedly at Riku with those piercing green eyes.

A lightheaded feeling stole over him and he stumbled back in sudden weakness. An instant later he recovered to find Eiko supporting him with concern etched across her features. Shaking his head a little to clear his thoughts he looked up.

His enemy stood there, eyes closed and still smirking. She flexed her gloved hands, then her eyes shot open fixing Riku in a haughty glare. "You could have been so powerful. Could have had anything you wanted—but you gave it all up for the sake of your _friends_. Too sappy for words."

Her body had the tautness of a cat about to pounce. She called her weapon to hand and what appeared there was so shocking that both Riku and Eiko stared in mute stupefaction.

She held Way to the Dawn.

A black figure streaked forward, slamming shoulder-first into Riku's chest and sending him flying with a sideswipe of the Keyblade. He landed in a ready crouch with an agility that was more instinctual than anything.

A copy. That _thing_ in her hands must have copied his Keyblade. She was good—he knew just by watching her stance—but she wasn't good enough to beat him.

"Two can play at this game," he muttered, one hand out to summon his blade. But his fingers closed on a set of knives.

"Oh, _really?_" came her serpentine voice from behind.

%*%

Eiko lay half-stunned on the platform near the teleporter. The frontal attack on Riku had also included a blow straight to her temple from the Keyblade's hilt. Shaking hands touched the spot and waves of dizziness clouded every sense, but she forced herself to look around for her friend.

They had fought until they were climbing a hill of riches almost thirty feet from their starting point, yet it was obvious who was having the worst part of the battle. Riku would flail with the unfamiliar weapons and instantly retreat to avoid the longer reach of his own blade in enemy hands. She knew he couldn't keep that up for long.

Even through the hammering headache she realized there was only one way to help him…and it lay just at the edge of the platform where Larxene had dropped it.

Forcing herself to her feet, Eiko wobbled toward the object whose name and properties she did not know. She nearly fell as she reached it, but managed to keep enough balance to kneel down. Her eyes found Riku backed into a corner against a giant silver statue.

"Take mine," she said as a single finger raced along the web, creating a sobbing set of musical notes for him. The lightheaded sensation that followed was all she needed to succumb to the pain pulsing behind her eyes.

%*%

Riku had decided very early on in the fight that knives were useless for anything but opening letters. Even lightning had no effect on the Nobody. His one clumsy attempt at that was deflected with careless grace and Larxene had given a high-pitched, mocking laugh.

"I know my own attacks and how to counter them. Why don't you try something different? You're making this way too easy for me."

The only advantage he seemed to have was that her footing was impeded by the coins and jewels that shifted the moment they bore any weight, but even with that Riku knew she was toying with him.

Without warning his back was up against something huge and solid. She had been edging him toward a silver statue the whole time to cut off his retreat. Throwing the knives aside he dropped down and pressed his hands against the field of metal. With little effort Larxene backflipped into the air and disappeared through a portal of darkness as flashes of electricity raced in every direction.

For a moment she was gone, and in that moment Riku felt a second wave of dizziness cloak him. It passed but he looked up to see the Nobody descending on him swinging her stolen blade.

The surprise on both their faces was almost laughable when he blocked her attack with another Keyblade.

Desert Star held the blow long enough for him to recover and he thrust her back in one movement. A pool of vaporous shadow swallowed her and a second later the Nobody came flying at Riku from the left. Even as he turned to defend himself she swept past and into another portal that carried her straight at him from another angle.

The hourglass shape of his current Keyblade gave him an idea. Thankfully he had been teaching Eiko when she discovered the secret of her weapon.

He tapped the glass and red sand began sliding into the other portion. The world seemed to slow and the woman appeared to be strolling by leisurely when in real-time she was flashing toward a third portal so fast that he would hardly have been able to follow her.

Her new entrance formed at a snail's pace to his left and he sidestepped, waiting until she was halfway out before bringing the blade down on her spine at the base of her neck. Then the sand ran out and time resumed its normal speed.

He had the pleasure of seeing her fly into the side of what had once been a deluxe ship and crumple into a heap beneath its figurehead of a rearing mare. But she refused to lie there while her opponent stood.

They gazed at one another with different levels of ire, but it occurred to Riku that he hadn't felt any tug of the Darkness since long before their battle—and almost on the heels of that thought came the understanding of the item Larxene had used. A plan shaped itself in an instant.

"Having trouble?" he taunted.

She growled. It was obvious he'd injured her badly because she didn't stand up straight and one thin hand gripped the shaft of the Keyblade tightly as if in an attempt to control her pain.

"You may be able to steal my weapon but you can never be as strong as me. Without a heart that Keyblade can't give you its full power."

Her snarl made her look almost animalistic and Riku could tell she was desperate. "You really think so, do you? Think that just because we're using the same type of weapon now that you can defeat me?"

"You'll need more than a Keyblade, _that's _for sure."

It was the final push that made that proud falcon of a woman fall into his trap. With a cry of pure hatred she called to the Darkness using the channel Riku always accessed it with. But as the unbridled surge of energy came pouring into her, Larxene at once realized something that her enemy had been counting on: it was entirely beyond her control.

As a Nobody her authority over the Darkness was restricted to only what a heartless being could use—but to attempt it this way was to open the floodgate. She had no way to stop it or seize hold of it now.

This realization hit her hard and she screamed as every molecule swelled with black vapor. She could not contain what she had and yet more kept streaming in. Whatever humanity she had left was eaten away by the overwhelming flood of Darkness.

Watching her writhe in agony Riku felt pity for her. A spell came to mind—one Eiko had shown him only once—and he pointed the Keyblade and used Holy.

Streaking sapphire light like miniature shooting stars gathered to encase her in an orb that flashed with all the colors in the spectrum. Once the light faded the Savage Nymph was no more.


	22. 5 Patience Pays Off

**Chapter 5: Patience Pays Off**

When Riku approached the teleporter he was surprised to see Jim already there. He was kneeling over Eiko, who had collapsed, and looked up as the Keyblade wielder pulled himself onto the platform.

"Looks like she got the worst of it in a fight with some Paroan tarbeast," he said gesturing to the girl's face where she sported a bruise that was turning an early shade of purple.

"Larxene's doing." Riku looked at him with some curiosity. "What happened after we left? I doubt they just let you go."

"They signaled for the Legacy to come pick us all up and while we were waiting the Doc had an idea." Jim couldn't keep the grin from his face. "It so happens that pirates will turn on each other given the tiniest incentive. The captain joined in and convinced them they were fools for being cheated out of the treasure."

"Hardly any effort on my part," Captain Amelia said modestly as Dr. Doppler helped her walk over to them. "All you have to know is what will turn crude, fiery-tempered louts against each other instead of against you."

Jim continued, "During the confusion we got free and landed some weapons. By then we outnumbered the pirates who were still alive so we threw them in the brig, took control of the ship, followed your boat's beacon, and here we are."

The cat-like alien's eyes scanned the hills of almost limitless loot. "It seems the venture was a success after all but our work is not done yet. Riku, who is left?"

"Only six pirates brought us here and Larxene is history."

"Then it should be a simple matter to round them up."

And it was, especially considering that every pirate had somehow managed to misplace his weapon during the scramble for the treasure. But Jim noticed right away that one of them was missing. He separated from the others and made his way back to the exit.

The Legacy still hovered where they had left her anchored a short distance away, but the longboat was practically beside the teleporter and lined with a small fortune. Jim turned to run back to the others but noticed instantly that the destination inside the triangle had changed.

The view was that of rolling hills, every so often topped by what looked like small grain fields. In the valley directly in front of him huge supercows grazed on purplish-green fodder while their caretakers drifted along the outer edge of the herd on gliders. But it wasn't the scenery that occupied Jim's attention.

Silver stood staring at the teleporter with an unexpected yearning on his face. Jim stood behind him, gun in hand, but the pirate didn't even look his way.

"I figured now that I've mad me fortune I c'n go back t' the ol' 'omestead, settle down an' all."

"And what makes you think I'll let you get away after you betrayed all of us?"

He smiled, "Ye've got a whole planet o' treasure. Ye won't begrudge me a sackful, will ye?" Silver leaned closer to the boy. "Whatever ye may think, there was never a time I considered offin' ye. I was always plannin' on takin' ye 'long. We c'n still git 'way, y'know! Come wi' me."

During this Jim had been thinking and found he strangely had no anger left for this man who had become more of a father to him than his own. The gun lowered inch by inch until it was held loosely at his side. He faced the man with resolution in his face.

"I understand why you want me to go and it seems like freedom, but if I did I'd never be able to see my mom again and I'd always have to watch my back for the authorities. You have enough treasure in that boat for a lifetime. Don't get too greedy by taking me too."

The pirate gave a sigh. "I was 'fraid ye'd say dat. Sure ye won' reconsider?"

Despite his decision Jim couldn't help wondering what it would be like living in the countryside on the other side of the portal with Silver. Longing tugged at him but he stepped back. "I'm not ready. Maybe someday when things are settled back home, but not for a few years at least. If you can be patient long enough for me to finish living the life I started there, I'll be patient enough to wait and join you later. Deal?"

"'Tis a bargain, Jimbo. Alright then! I'll be gettin' on me way, but I'll be in touch one way 'r 'nother."

"You'd better hurry before anyone notices the portal is closed."

Silver took a moment to show the boy how the teleporter's navigation worked, then he fired up the longboat and entered the triangular gate. Jim watched until his friend disappeared around a hill before restoring the connection to the planet's core.

No one had noticed he was missing because most of them were busy trying to find Silver, and during the search Dr. Doppler discovered the remains of Captain Flint in a grounded ship. Jim made his way over to join everyone else.

"All bones!" Doppler kept saying as he shuddered, rubbing his arms to keep the fur from standing up.

It turned out the skeleton was holding something very important to B.E.N.. The moment his missing memory function was reattached, the robot remembered everything. Explanations came pouring out as he recounted things he'd been unable to recall for a century and he seemed to take great delight in it.

Captain Amelia had to stop his description of certain portions of the trove and encouraged him to tell them something more relevant. "Can we come back for more of this treasure if the map is broken?"

B.E.N. flinched. "Without it there is no reliable way to find this place again since it is more of a spaceship than a planet. It follows a course preset by the Krell long ago to protect themselves from enemies. The formula for the course is so complex that even I'm unable to understand it. Without the map the portal will automatically close after 24 hours, probably never to open again."

"Then we'd best get moving," the captain ordered. "Delbert, help me to the Legacy so that we can steer her inside and begin loading. It wouldn't do to return home fortuneless. The rest of you keep an eye on those rats and don't stop looking for Silver. No corsairs will be slipping the noose as long as _I'm_ in command."

Jim wisely kept his mouth shut.

"B.E.N., do you think you could help me get beyond the barrier surrounding this universe?" Riku asked.

The robot nodded. "I helped one of Flint's pirates escape that way a hundred years ago and that's one of the reasons he pulled my memory. If you can get your ship here in the next 23 hours before this portal closes permanently then I'll have no trouble getting you out."

Once the captives were hauling treasure into the Legacy's hold Riku returned to the platform where his friend was still lying inert. He sat her upright and shook her by the shoulders.

"As much as you need your rest I need to know where the ship is even more."

Her face creased in pain and one hand raised to touch the nasty bruise. "Go away…"

With a sigh he took out Way to the Dawn (which had returned to him as soon as Larxene was dead) and attached the keychain Heaven's Zephyr. A few seconds after that Eiko sat up, recovering from the feeling that always accompanied a healing spell, much like chewing on ice. He quickly explained what they needed and she jumped to her feet.

"What are you waiting for? Who knows how long it will take us to reach the ship by foot and you're just sitting down? Come on!"

He paused long enough to pick up the nameless artifact that was ultimately the cause of Larxene's death and hide it in the folds of his black coat. Even if he didn't use it himself it was always good to keep it out of unfriendly hands.

Jogging to catch up, he followed the girl through the teleporter and they began trekking toward the crash-site. According to her memory it was possibly ten miles away and if they hurried it might take three hours to reach it through the forest. Conversation about Larxene and other details about their separate journeys lulled a short while later and they continued on in a fairly comfortable silence, mostly because it took quite a bit of attention to navigate the forest. At last, though, Riku couldn't help himself.

"Yen Sid told me about your friend in Twilight Town."

Eiko appeared troubled but not angry. "It wasn't really his place to tell you. I would have done it myself once I had everything worked out."

"What do you mean by that?"

She ducked beneath a branch oozing slimy gray sap and then gave him a shrug. "Over the last few days I've had some time to think about it. He's living a perfectly normal life there, so is it right for me to take him away from the only place he knows? The Archdeacon told me once that we have to examine our motives before making an important decision. I want him to remember me because I love him and if Vivi remembers our history then he would love me too, like before. But the Archdeacon also said that love is patient and considers the good of the other person first. By nature I'm not patient and I tend to think about what _I_ want before anything else."

Dense undergrowth slowed their progress and he said nothing as they squeezed between plants neither of them were interested in touching. Eiko took his silence for concentration on her words or his feet, not realizing she had touched on a subject he found very disconcerting.

"Just think about it: you and I are constantly traveling, fighting and generally getting into scrapes. Someday Vivi will have to move to a new world, and when that time comes I'd like to have a home ready for him—a life of permanence."

Riku gave a sardonic smile. "You're taking it better than I anticipated."

"Don't get me wrong. It hurts to think about him and the way he doesn't recognize me at all, but I think it would hurt him more to be yanked away from a place he calls home now only to be shunted to some other world where I would only be able to see him when I don't have any other duties to attend. That isn't right and it certainly isn't fair to either of us."

He brushed her arm with the tips of his gloved fingers and she turned. "You're welcome to make a home on Destiny Islands. It's where I grew up."

"Really? Aw, thanks!" she cried with girlish excitement that suddenly reminded him she was actually quite young.

The words resounded in the clearing they had just entered and their eyes were immediately drawn to a large ship half-buried in a grove of what passed for trees on this planet. The plants had done a very good job of expelling a large amount of gray-green waxy substance over the bright colors of the Gummi.

"Didn't you say it was ten miles?" the boy asked mock-seriously.

"Give or take five," she replied.

"I'd better fire up the engines and see if everything is in working order."

Once he was inside the Gummi ship and Eiko was alone, sadness suddenly pulled on her features. For a few minutes while she waited, a stream of memories ran through her mind full of bittersweet feelings and she sagged there, knowing the relationship she'd once had with Vivi would never be the same.

On the tail of that came another phrase from the Archdeacon: "Succumbing to despair will only make you feel weak and alone. There is always hope—even on the verge of death. Seek it and you will have both strength and peace."

Eiko stood up straighter, lifting her chin and forcefully dispelling the darkness that had been sliding its cold fingers along the edge of her thoughts. Even a pinprick of hope could light the way, driving out the misery that had caught her unawares.

"Seven years, Vivi," the Summoner promised. "I can wait. I _will_ wait."

**So sorry Riku and Eiko usurped Jim's story. I really did try to write a version where Jim played more of a part but it was just too much running around and he kept getting in the way…or disappearing by accident when there were too many characters in one spot. Finally I just cut everybody except the important ones.**

**(Seriously, YOU try writing a fight-scene where five different people are interacting, commenting on things, and staring at the action. It gets really confusing and you start wondering why somebody doesn't just take out a laser gun and shoot the bad guy in the back. But that would be anti-climactic and I'd get flamed for it.)**

**At least Jim and Silver had some parting words.**


	23. 1 Hardly Espionage

**A Collection of Hearts #5: Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady**

**Chapter 1: Hardly Espionage**

"I'm headed off to Traverse Town," the mouse king's voice floated out from a speaker on the gummi ship's control panel. "It seems there's a large Heartless plaguing the people there. Can you handle the scouting by yourselves until I get through?"

Eiko glanced at her companion who gave a tired smirk. Reconnaissance was too easy a job and the last five missions had been dull as watching beans sprout. "Sure thing, King Mickey. Do you want us to interfere if we see something unreasonable going on?"

"Use your judgment. We have no associates there and very little information. Aside from checking for Heartless or Nobodies, your task is to learn about the world and find out who might be willing to make an alliance with us. The ship is already set to help you blend in."

Riku steered expertly along their path, coming in through the cloudy atmosphere. "We'll be fine, Mickey. You just take care of that Heartless and leave World XXI to us."

"All right, but don't hesitate to call for help if things get sticky, got it? Keep me updated."

"Don't worry!" Eiko inserted with a laugh. "I'll make sure he doesn't do anything _too_ stupid."

Their connection broke off and Riku came in for the landing. Forest was everywhere and it was hard to find a clearing large enough for them to land. As she exited the gummi ship Eiko felt a tingle go all over her body. She giggled nervously at the unfamiliar sensation then looked down.

Her body had changed! She was a—what was she? All Eiko could see of herself were two black-furred paws for hands and another matching set on her bare feet. Luckily her jumper had changed along with her so that it still fit, but she simply couldn't see enough to be able to figure out what she was.

"What the—?!" She looked back at the ship and saw Riku still standing inside, unchanged.

"Never thought I'd see a badger that big."

"I'm a badger?"

"Either that or a skunk without a tail."

"That's not what I'm talking about. How did I turn into an _animal?_"

"Oh, that. I suppose this is the first time we've visited a world with no humans. It has to do with a magic attached to this gummi ship. If we land on a world that lacks human inhabitants then we'll change into the most appropriate disguise to avoid attracting attention. They tend to be disguises that fit someone's personality or the most equivalent in terms of anatomy."

He stepped through the exit and Eiko watched in fascination as his form shifted with a strange blur. When he came back into focus she stared with some interest at his new appearance. Orange and black stripes covered everything from his feline face and paws down to the tail trailing out beneath the edge of his coat.

"A tiger," he stated simply.

"Oh, that is _so_ not fair," Eiko griped. "You get to be a wildcat and I'm an oversized rodent. Are you sure the ship isn't set for randomness?"

Riku looked around without answering. "We'd better leave or else someone might hear us and investigate. We can't have anyone find the ship."

He activated the ship's camouflage so that it appeared to be a large mound of earth, and then the pair headed in the general direction of a road they'd spotted on the way in.

They had two choices of direction once they reached it and decided to observe anyone who followed it before they made a decision. A few minutes later a family of rabbits came by. They walked along at a good pace, talking among themselves.

"—could give him a piece of my mind," the mother, wearing a pair of spectacles, said with more than a trace of anger. "Preying on the weakest, seizing all the money he can get his hands on, and licking the boots of that usurping _cat_."

Her smallest child, who was holding a stuffed bunny, piped up. "And slurping isn't polite!"

"But Mama, what can we do about it?" the eldest girl asked.

"_I'll _tell ya what," her younger brother said ferociously as he brandished the bow and arrow he carried. "We can fight back—like Robin Hood!"

Their mother pulled the shawl close as though suddenly much colder. "Skippy, I don't want you repeating anything I say to anyone. Do you understand me? If the sheriff knew I said such things about him..."

Hidden in the brush Eiko looked at her friend. "They're most likely a good place to start. How do you want to go about it?"

"Strangers like us need to appear as harmless as possible or we're likely to give the old rabbit a heart attack. She doesn't seem to like cats so I'll leave most of the talking to you unless you botch things up too quickly." There was a hint of humor in his voice, but _only_ a hint.

"I've watched you often enough that I know what to do in my sleep."

They pushed their way through the branches and she quickly flicked off the holly leaves stuck to her fur before calling, "Pardon!"

The family turned to see two strangers approaching, one of them looking somewhat intimidating in his black cloak. But the badger had a kind face and they smiled in return.

The thin rabbit greeted them politely. "May I help you?"

"Could you direct us to the nearest town? We're a bit lost in this part of the country."

Finding them apparently friendly she answered with a gesture. "Up this road you'll find Nottingham, though it's unlikely you'll see anyone there today. Everyone is headed to the fairgrounds. They're not far—"

"We're going there too," spoke up the little rabbit in the oversized hat. "They have fruit pies and meat pies and cider, plus the contest. All the bowmen are coming out to show who's the best shot."

His mother hushed him with a stern look. "What did I say about interrupting people?"

"Sorry, Mama."

She returned her gaze to the strangers. "I'm afraid I forgot my manners as well. My name is Barbara Bywood and these are my elder children Cecily, John and Anna. The rest are with Mrs. At-water right now and they'll be joining us at the fair shortly."

The boy made a face as she introduced him. "Everyone calls me Skippy, Mama. Even you. I hate sharing the name of that tie-rant."

Mrs. Bywood looked horrified at his words and shot a distressed glance between him and the foreigners. Eiko smiled and leaned over to shake his paw.

"I would feel the same way. My name is Eiko and this is my friend Riku. We come from far over the sea."

The mother rabbit clasped her hands together suddenly. "The sea? Have you any news of King Richard's Crusade? What of the army?"

Riku spoke for the first time, his voice not encouraging. "You're more likely to have news than us. We hadn't even heard of any crusade until just now."

She seemed to wither. "Yes, I suppose it was too much to hope."

Cecily tugged her mother's shawl. "Papa _will_ come back."

At about that moment Mrs. Bywood realized only two of her children were beside her. "Anna?"

"Pie!" came her daughter's perky voice from just around the nearby bend in the road.

An elderly badger, somewhat portly, in a monk's brown robe appeared, leading the little bunny by the paw. In her free hand Anna held a slice of apple cobbler, and what hadn't made it into her mouth was thickly matting the fur of her cheeks and chin.

"I believe I found something that belongs to you, Barbara," the badger said with a grandfatherly smile.

"Thank you, Friar." The rabbit scooped up her child and used a handkerchief to wipe away the worst of the mess from Anna's face. She nodded to the two behind her. "These are visitors from over the sea. Eiko and Riku, I believe."

"Friar Tuck," he introduced himself, but looked curious. "What country do you hail from? Your names aren't Bohemian or French...not remotely Latin..."

Eiko smiled. "Our people have been isolated far from here for more generations than we can count. Is it surprising our names are so odd?" She craned her neck to look down the road. "What is that noise?"

They all turned as joyous shouts came from beyond the trees. Skippy and his older sister bounced around their mother while Anna wriggled excitedly in her arms. "They're already starting! Let's go, Mama!"

"It's probably the jugglers showing off for the little ones," Friar Tuck said. "I know of no reason the two of you cannot join us. All are welcome at these festivities."

Thanking him kindly for the invitation they began to walk toward the fairgrounds, along the way asking polite questions that gave them a better idea of what sort of world this was and what problems it faced. From the little they had eavesdropped earlier, it was obvious that a royal intrigue was in motion and that the current ruler was heavy-handed with the peasantry.

Still, from the growing sounds ahead it seemed that despite their troubles they were still able to celebrate with a decent amount of enjoyment. Then again, had Eiko been any different with her moogle friends as a child?

The entrance to the fairgrounds appeared to be pair of turrets leading into a large clearing, perhaps half a mile from a high-walled castle. When Riku asked about it Friar Tuck gave it a short purse-lipped look and called it Nottingham Castle. He quickly returned their attention to the activities closer at hand, as though the place was a sore spot.

A cluster of colored tents had been set up, each one either selling foodstuffs or holding different attractions. The crowd consisted of mostly forest animals, all standing on their hind legs and wearing clothing made from poor material.

But among them, though obviously set apart, were elephants, rhinos, hippos, thin sour-faced wolves and the occasional crocodile. The peasantry tended to avoid them, and the soldiers (with such uniforms what else could they be?) kept their eyes scanning the people with an attentiveness that spoke of a search for someone in particular.

Yet their presence, unwelcome obviously, did almost nothing to distract the younger ones from their amusement. Mrs. Bywood was forced to hurry off so that she wouldn't lose sight of her children.

They were still conversing with the friar when Riku stiffened beside his friend, gripping her arm so suddenly that she nearly jumped. Noticing, Friar Tuck broke off explaining the origin of this annual archery tournament.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid we'll have to rejoin you later," he apologized quickly, pulling Eiko away. "Something has come to my attention and it cannot wait."

A shrewd look passed over the old badger's face as he watched them pass through a crowd and head for the edge of the grounds. "There is more to those two than meets the eye. Good or ill, though...?" he murmured to himself.

A short distance away Riku stopped in the relative privacy of a tent's back awning and his companion bent close. "What is it? You've _never_ done that on any of our recon missions."

"Organization Thirteen. One of them is here."


	24. 2 Archery Contest

**Chapter 2: Archery Contest**

Eiko froze. "I really hope you're joking. There's nothing worth their time in this place. I haven't felt a whisper of native magic and none of the locals' problems include mysterious black monsters that steal hearts."

Giving an uncertain look back toward the milling throng of assorted animals, Riku shook his head. "We can't be completely sure about either of those. Whoever he is, he's nearby but I can't identify him until I get closer. I need you to check _that_ half of the grounds and signal me if you find anything suspicious."

"What if he tries something foolish? What do you want me to use?" She glanced down at the pouch of summoning stones.

"If he reveals himself and attacks then use whatever would be most effective." He nodded to several families. "There are too many innocents here to be subtle. See if you can get close to those contestants. He could be hiding among them."

Wishing each other luck they separated, not realizing someone had overheard the conversation. The eavesdropper cocked her head to one side and decided she wanted to help even though she didn't fully understand what the strangers were up to. All that mattered to her was that they were willing to risk themselves to protect others.

Despite the urgency of finding the dark-cloaked Nobody, Eiko couldn't keep her eyes off the contestants who were practicing even after being sure her target was not there. The bows of assorted sizes were in skilled paws indeed. Of course some archers were better than others but Eiko paid more attention to the quality of the weapons than their users.

"What I wouldn't give to hold one of those beauties," she sighed.

"Oh, you're an archer?" a kind, feminine voice came from almost at her side.

Eiko jumped and spun to face the fox maid who stood there in a long pink gown, smiling with a trace of embarrassment.

"I didn't mean to startle you. I step lightly. My name is Marian and I heard the gentleman back there call you Eiko, so you have no need to introduce yourself. But I noticed you were very intent on the bows."

"Yes... My grandfather taught me to shoot. I'd like to try, if they'll let me."

"That won't be a problem," she assured the girl. "Come with me. You'll have a bow easily enough."

Taking her by the hand, Maid Marian made her way to another tent where a crocodile stood guard. Behind him was a stock of bows hung on pegs and quivers of arrows, each set fletched with differently colored feathers.

"This young one would like to try her hand at the bow."

The crocodile leaned down to glare suspiciously at Eiko. He answered in a gravely voice, "No women."

"Do the rules say so?"

A blank look passed over the reptile's features and he shot a glance at the rhinoceros nearby who shrugged uncertainly.

"If there is no rule against it then how can you refuse to allow it?" Marian asked in a persuasive voice.

"But the prince may not—"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. I shall be sitting beside my uncle during the tournament and explain to him that I am her patron. Would you deny her knowing that?"

During this exchange Eiko could not quite understand why the guards were so reticent to allow her the use of a weapon and why Marian's patronage was so important. But when she was given her choice of bow she instantly forgot the exchange. Running her paw along each of the longbows and testing their strings occupied her mind for the next few minutes until she finally chose a sturdy one carved cunningly from yew heartwood.

When the crocodile saw her choice even he admitted grudgingly beneath his breath that she had an eye for quality.

"Who made it?" she wondered.

The guard's full array of teeth showed in a nasty grin. "Some of the woodsfolk can't pay their taxes with coin. Now, your name?"

"Eiko of Gaia."

He handed her a quiver of arrows fletched with yellow- and brown-banded feathers.

Marian quickly guided her back toward the firing range. "You only have a little time to prepare. I'll go back to my seat now."

Before Eiko could ask for more clarification the fox maid had already melted into the crowd. For a moment she paused, undecided, but the bow in her hands was too tempting.

She took her stance at the very end of the line of archers, nocking an arrow with less grace than the rest, and proceeded to miss the target for the first few tries. Yet her fingers began to remember the taut string and braced steadily so that aiming grew easier.

"I didn't know they let womenfolk enter the contest," the pig beside her commented.

"Enter? Oh no, I'm just fiddling with the bow, that's all."

He looked at her quiver and raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you have banded arrows? Those are only for contestants."

"Oh crud..." Certain comments made by Marian and the crocodile were beginning to make sense. "Well, I can't resign now. I guess the best I can do is try not to make a fool of myself."

But while Eiko attempted to dredge up all the skills she'd learned as a child, her friend discovered which Nobody had plans for this world.

Riku had been scanning the crowd for a black cape but his attention was diverted instantly the moment his eyes fell on some of the guards who were stationed near a large stone wall at the very rear of the fairgrounds. A little more than half a dozen elephants stood there and Riku could detect no living scent from those nearest him. They had the appearance of crude, clumsy guards but he knew that they were only illusions to cover up the truth.

Illusion… That meant the Nobody was—

%*%

The prince sat on his erected throne and looked over the proceedings with a certain amount of frustration. He turned to the person standing behind him (someone only he could see, apparently) and had to push back the oversized crown that fell over his eyes to see properly.

"What do you mean by all this strange business? Robin Hood's capture is my goal and I don't intend to give him any chance to escape this time."

The figure covered completely in a black cloak stood at his side with a tome beneath one arm, hardly needing any effort to maintain his illusion of invisibility. "Your Highness, one must know his enemies. You already know the fox and I can assist in his capture later easily."

"I don't entirely see the point of distracting me from my present goal. I've been looking forward to watching that rogue's head roll since before this tournament began."

The lion growled sulkily while on his right, a fox maiden listened attentively without giving any indication of interest. Her lady-in-waiting was gabbing on about the contest and occasionally darting a glance at the prince, who appeared to anyone else to be talking to himself.

"It is best to see the faces of the ones who are spying on your world since they will most likely align themselves with your brother. There is always the possibility their power could be yours instead, Sire."

This confident statement gave pause to Prince John's infuriated thoughts. Even as he regretted his original plans being postponed, the thought of Richard having allies with skills that could sweep the country out from under his own feet made him quail.

"Then it shall be as you say. But if these turn out to be no more than fool peasants with no talent I will be very galled. I do hate inconveniences, my lusterless friend." There was a glint of threat in his narrowed eyes but Zexion appeared not to notice.

The Organization member turned back to the crowd, but could detect very little other than the faint whiff of gummi residue and passive magic, obviously that of Riku and his current companion. Other than that, his senses picked up nothing more than the disgusting musk of wild animals.

He didn't like to admit that interacting with anyone other than fellow Nobodies made him nervous. But the Superior's orders were law, and if he wanted Zexion to reveal himself to the corrupt creature that called himself a ruler in this world then he would do so. That did not mean he was not free to question the wisdom of such an action, so long as he did it quietly.

The contestants lined up and drew their bows. He observed each one critically. Pig, dog, goat, boar, turtle, duck, rhinoceros, badger, raccoon, raccoon, dog, goose, wolf, stork. A dissonant air cloaked the badger and he quirked a smile. Even the magic of gummi ships couldn't fool the master of illusion.

He watched as the command was given and all arrows flew, many landing close to their marks. Twice more they fired, and each target was evaluated for the best shot. Most of the animals stepped back, leaving only the boar, badger, wolf and stork at the edge of the field.

Once the targets had been moved back ten paces the archers fired again, this time two arrows instead of three. The wolf sheriff threw his bow to the ground and blamed the wind with every angry breath.

Zexion had been observing the audience at the edges of the field, searching for Riku, when he heard the names of the two final contestants.

"The spindle-legged stork from Davonshire and the badger Eiko from Gaia," the crocodile announcer croaked.

One gloved hand touched the prince's sleeve and gestured to the field. "It seems you have a magic-user trying to win that golden arrow. If you would like to meet her I can arrange her triumph."

Prince John still harbored some hopes of seizing his nemesis but neither of the remaining archers could possibly be the fox. Still, he recognized an opportunity when it sat staring him in the face. "Do so. I believe the child could aid me if she is made sympathetic to my cause."

Number VI said nothing more on the matter but continued to examine the girl in disguise down below. Being so near Riku troubled him, especially after he'd defeated Zexion at Castle Oblivion, but if this other child could be used against him somehow perhaps the end result would be different this time around. The most recent reports seemed to indicate that he had a relationship with her nearly as strong as his one with Sora.

%*%

Eiko rubbed the back of her neck nervously. She had been trying to win but hadn't expected to become a finalist. As a child her training had been on monsters who didn't sit still while being shot, so this was almost easy in comparison.

"G' luck t' ya, dear," the stork offered as he watched the target being moved ten additional paces back.

"I'm sure I'll lose," she laughed. "I can aim and shoot well enough, but I'm scared to death with all these people watching me."

"Ah wouldn' worry 'bout it. Jes' do yer best and none o' us'll think any worse o' ya."

"Thanks."

"Ladies firs'," he said bowing.

The badger stepped forward, giving a doubtful look at the small bull's eye before aiming her final arrow cautiously and firing. It went too high and struck two rings above the center. More than half the crowd murmured with sympathy, sure she would lose to her rival.

The stork gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder and ambled forth. Hardly stopping to aim, he let fly one twig-like arrow that arced through the air straight toward the center mark.

To anyone watching the arrow carefully, it might have appeared to shimmer a bare second before it veered and struck the earth at the base of the target.

The ready cheers turned to groans of disappointment and the stork, stunned at his failure, simply stared at the arrow in disbelief. Three guards escorted the badger up to the dais. She was plainly surprised but excited as well.

The kindly Maid Marian stood and removed her necklace with the glittering crystal pendant. She placed it on the pillow beside the golden arrow.

"I am proud to give you this token," she said.

But despite her words Eiko could see a sadness there too, as if she had expected a different outcome and was disappointed yet determined not to be. As the badger-girl gave a small curtsy in reply she happened to look up at the raised platform and her heart nearly stopped.

Behind the lanky lion who wore a crown far too large for him was a shadow of magic. Every hair on her body stood on end and she could not keep the shock from her face.

"Am I so imposing, child?" the prince asked. He'd stood and had been about to present her with her reward when he noticed her expression.

"No Sire, I just—" She broke off as the shadow vanished.

But Prince John was already waving off her excuse. "By the rules of the tournament this golden arrow now belongs to you. In light of this unprecedented victory by a young lady, I would also like to invite you to Nottingham Castle to dine as my guest."

"I..."

Her mind went blank. Riku hadn't made any provisions for a possibility like this. She didn't know what to say, especially with a member of Organization Thirteen peering at her from someplace she couldn't see. Which one of them would be able to disappear like that without using a portal?

"I assume your silence is an agreement, because I have much I would like to discuss. Now if—"

Before anyone could move, there came a shout from behind. Most of the people turned to see the stork touching his arrow…only his feathered hand passed straight _through__._

The illusion melted away at this discovery and everyone saw with amazement a rough, twig-like arrowed appear dead-center in the target.


End file.
